Participatory
Learning &
Action
What is PLA?
PLA is a World Health Organisation recommended approach to community development and social change that emphasizes active involvement and collaboration among community members. In PLA, communities identify their own needs, set priorities, and take action to address those needs in a participatory manner. The key components of participatory learning and action include:
Participation: Active involvement of community members in all stages of the learning and action process, including problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Learning: Emphasis on experiential learning and knowledge sharing within the community. Learning takes place through dialogue, reflection, and hands-on experiences rather than through top-down instruction.
Action: Collective action to address identified issues and achieve community goals. This action may take various forms, such as community projects, advocacy campaigns, or policy initiatives.
Empowerment: Strengthening the capacity of individuals and communities to take control of their own development processes.
This is illustrated in the figure below:
PLA is a World Health Organisation approach to community development and social change that emphasizes active involvement and collaboration among community members. In PLA, communities identify their own needs, set priorities, and take action to address those needs in a participatory manner. The key components of participatory learning and action include:
Participation: Active involvement of community members in all stages of the learning and action process, including problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Learning: Emphasis on experiential learning and knowledge sharing within the community. Learning takes place through dialogue, reflection, and hands-on experiences rather than through top-down instruction.
Action: Collective action to address identified issues and achieve community goals. This action may take various forms, such as community projects, advocacy campaigns, or policy initiatives.
Empowerment: Strengthening the capacity of individuals and communities to take control of their own development processes.
This is illustrated in the figure below:
The PLA approach has proven to be a low-cost, culturally adaptable and an effective method to achieve improvements in maternal and child health outcomes and have demonstrated:
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Reduction in maternal and new-born deaths (49% reduction in maternal mortality and 33% reduction in neonatal mortality)
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The ability to address social determinants of health
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Adaptability to different cultural and country contexts (India, Malawi, Bangladesh, Nepal and the United Kingdom)
Why is PLA important?
Our key partner
Programme Updates
We are delighted to announce that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior has awarded us a substantial grant of £368,306. This funding, in partnership with the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Medway, Women and Children First, University of Greenwich, University of Kent, and New York University, will enable us to undertake a participatory learning and action (PLA) initiative in Medway titled CAPITAL: Community-based Action and Participatory Initiative for Tackling And Learning about Food Insecurity and Poverty. Our project aims to address and alleviate food poverty among children aged 0-11 years old, ensuring better health and nutrition outcomes for the youngest members of our community. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to making a significant impact through this collaborative effort.
23 APR 2024
29 NOV 2023
The publication titled "Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON): Participatory Learning and Action Women’s Groups to Improve Infant Feeding Practices in South Asian Infants," led by Logan Manikam, Shereen Allaham, Priyanka Patil, and colleagues, aims to enhance infant feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices among South Asian infants in East London. Through a three-arm pilot feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial, the study compares face-to-face PLA, online PLA, and usual care arms, focusing on primary outcomes such as feasibility and BMI z-score, and secondary outcomes including eating behavior and parental feeding practices. Ethically conducted, the project involves a multidisciplinary team and seeks broad dissemination of its findings.
The publication outlines a systematic review protocol focusing on participatory learning and action (PLA) methodology's potential to enhance health outcomes in high-income countries (HICs). Led by a multidisciplinary team including Shereen Allaham, Ameeta Kumar, Monica Lakhanpaul, and others, the study addresses the existing gap in research regarding PLA's efficacy in HICs. By synthesizing evidence from randomized controlled trials, the review aims to shed light on PLA's impact on health and health-related outcomes in high-resource settings. This collaborative effort not only informs future applications of PLA methodology but also adheres to rigorous methodological standards, contributing to advancing knowledge and practice in public health interventions for HICs.
28 FEB 2022
27 JUL 2022
The publication titled "Developing a community facilitator-led intervention for South Asian infants' health" sheds light on the Intervention Development Phase of the NEON program, led by Logan Manikam, Shereen Allaham, Isabel-Catherine Demel, Ummi Aisha Bello and colleagues showcases a collaborative effort which aims to optimise infant feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices within East London's South Asian community. Through engaging 32 participants, the Intervention Development Phase yielded a culturally sensitive intervention package. This comprehensive toolkit includes a PLA group facilitator manual, visual aids delineating recommended practices, culturally relevant infant recipes, Community Asset Maps, and a directory of pertinent resources and services. This collective endeavor underscores the significance of community involvement in crafting effective public health interventions.
Findings from the NEON Programme in East London were presented in a conference, attended by community members, Tower Hamlets and Newham council members and UCL staff members.
The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme aims to optimise infant feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices among children under 2 years old, within communities of South Asian origin in East London. It shifts the power to these communities to better support mothers and carers. The first phase of the NEON programme was in partnership with the British-Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets in East London. Click here to view the video:
20 JUNE 2023
NEON programme presents publication at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Online Conference (2020)
The first 1000 days of a child’s life are key to child development. Sub-optimal nutrition before the age of 5 can increase health risks such as obesity and dental problems later in life. The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition NEON programme is tackling this and will be presenting at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Online Conference 2020 with the poster “Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) Programme: Qualitative study of drivers of infant feeding practices in a British-Bangladeshi population” by Prof. Monica Lakhanpaul, Dr. Lorna Benton, Oliver Lloyd-Houldey, Dr. Logan Manikam, Diana Margot Rosenthal, Shereen Al Laham, Dr. Michelle Heys. See it here
11 SEP 2020
Recognised for its community-led and co-produced intervention excellence, NEON Programme won the ‘Health at Every Age’ award from the prestigious RSPH Awards
Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON), led by Professor Monica Lakhanpaul and Dr Logan Manikam with Shereen Al Laham, Michelle Heys, Andrew Hayward, Neha Batura, Clare Llewellyn, Rajalakshmi Lakshman, Jennifer Martin, Lorna Benton, Sonia Ahmed, Edward Fortell, Oliver Lloyd-Houldey, Charlotte Lee, Taryn Smith, Georgia Black, Corinne Clarkson, Delceta Daley, Mary Marsh, Amanda Nutkins, Kelley Webb-Martin, Carol Irish, Chanel Edwards and Jenny Gilmour, has been recognised for supporting the development of safe, inclusive environments for mothers and carers to explore the critical health challenges they face.
22 OCT 2021
24 NOV 2020
NEON publication and e-poster accepted to the NIHR Academy Members’ Conference (2020)
The recent publication, "Community engagement through the Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme to improve infant feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian infants aged < 2 years in East London" and e-poster produced by the Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme team has been accepted to the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Academy Members’ Conference 2020. This publication, written by Dr. Logan Manikam, Shereen Al Laham, Dr. Michelle Heys, Dr. Clare Llewellyn, Dr. Neha Batura, Prof. Andrew Hayward, Dr. Rajalakshmi Lakshman, Jenny Gilmour, Kelley Webb-Martin, Carol Irish, Chanel Edwards, Corinne Clarkson, Mary Marsh, Delceta Daley, Amanda Nutkins, Prof. Monica Lakhanpaul, highlights how community engagement can help to develop low-cost interventions to address key public health issues.