This year is the 10th anniversary of the ASICS British 10k London Run and turn out is expected to be even higher than last year’s number of 27,000. Places are available now and THET is looking to recruit even more runners. We are inviting you all to get involved and join Team THET. By teaming up with us, we can maximize our fundraising efforts and raise essential funds – giving us the flexibility to respond to the needs of our colleagues overseas.

Registration is free and includes:

• Guaranteed place
• 10k training guide
• Team THET running shirt
• Fundraising support and guidance from our fundraising team
• A cheering squad on the day
• Post run reception - our thanks for supporting our work

If you are part of a Health Link, we would like to invite your Health Link members to take part in the 10k London Run.  Last year, the East London-Butabika Link teamed up with THET to raise vital funds for THET’s operations.

Let the East London-Butabika Link be an example to you and get active. Team up with THET and run for our collective goal! Challenge yourself, enjoy a day of team effort and fun and moreover, benefit from the money raised! Download your Team THET poster here.

If you would like to join team THET and support healthcare we need you. To register, please contact our fundraising team on 020 7290 3889 or email info@thet.org.

This Link was established in 2009, though there has been a long established link between NHS Borders in Scotland and St Francis Hospital (SFH), Katete, Zambia since Dr Sandy Logie worked there in 1992. Both hospitals serve rural areas and are the same size with 350 beds each. Dr Dorothy Logie set up a charity to support the hospital after her husband’s death, and that now contributes to supporting the large HIV/AIDS clinic and the other work of SFH which serves a poor rural community of over I million people. 

Fields of work 

HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB, Maternal and Child Health, Primary Health Care, Reproductive Health, Tropical diseases 

Current activities 

Work in progress is dependent  on an exchange of  skills and mutual awareness between health staff at NHS Borders and SFH in the areas of: 

• Training of Labour Ward Skills modelled on the evidence-based Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine / RCOG (UK) training programme
• Setting up a service for, and training in, Syndromic Management of Sexually Transmitted diseases, including couple counselling
• Deliver paediatric training in acute emergencies to SFH staff
• Pharmacy support and installation of ACSCRIBE software to ensure constant drug supply

Additional information 

Dr Dan Clutterbuck, STI and HIV/AIDS specialist in Lothian and Borders, has visited SFH three times to set up a STI service linked to the hospital HIV clinic, which now has 12,000 patients on its books. This clinic works with the District Health Service, and rural health staff, to train and support in: Syndromic Management of Genital Ulcers, enhanced Syndromic Management of Vaginal Discharge, couple counseling, and HIV clinical teaching, according to  Zambian Syndromic STI management protocol.  Funding has been found to appoint a part-time clinical officer to supervise and monitor the clinics. Regular visit are planned by NHS staff. 

Link requests 

Funding to allow further exchange of staff, to purchase and transport equipment, and for medical and technical exchanges for clinical teaching. 

We hope to  continue the liaison with SFH and to support  the hospital in general.  (A Mission and 2^nd level government hospital). 

Contact information 

UK
Dr Dorothy Logie delogie@aol.com
Dr Brian Magowan Brian.Magowan@borders.scot.nhs.uk
NHS Borders
Newstead
Melrose
Scotland

Email:
delogie@aol.com
Brian.Magowan@borders.scot.nhs.uk
bordershb@borders.scot.nhs

Zambia
Dr Shelagh Parkinson
Exec Director
St Francis’ Hospital
Private Bag 11
Katete
Zambia

Tel:  +062 52210/52344                   
Fax:  +062 52278
Email: stfrancishospital@iwayafrica.com

www.saintfrancishospital.net/

Established in 2004 in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, International Centre for Eye Health. The VISION 2020 Links Programme originated as part of the ‘VISION 2020; The Right to Sight’ initiative that was established in 1999 by the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide.  The Links programme works with overseas partner institutions (initially in Africa or where there is less than one ophthalmologist per million population) to identify their main eye care needs and priorities and then match those requirements with a suitable UK training eye unit. It is an initiative to give teaching eye institutions in developing countries the skills and resources.

Fields of work

Ophthamology

Current activities

The VISION 2020 Links Programme is part of the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) and based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The VISION 2020 Links Programme facilitates 20 links at present. ICEH promotes the development of links by acting as a resource and networking centre for existing Links and facilitates the development of new ophthalmic Links within NHS hospitals.  A database of interested UK ophthalmologists has been set up to aid the matching process.  

Contact information

UK
Marcia Zondervan, VISION 2020 Links Programme Manager

Email: marcia.zondervan@lshtm.ac.uk

www.iceh.org.uk/display/WEB/VISION+2020+Links;jsessionid=E999D2C135E5D326B29F8182CDDA230C

A partnership (formal twinning arrangement) between ZIEH and CIEH North West Centre has been in place since 2002. The aim is to:

• Realise mutual benefits for the members of both associations.
• Share and expand knowledge and experiences in a professional context.
• Make a significant and continuing contribution to improving the understanding of worldwide environmental health.

This arrangement has resulted in:

1. Financial and developmental support for ZIEH to join the International Federation of Environmental Health.
2. Members of the CIEH region visiting Zambia, at their own expense, to advance relations and to develop and strengthen the bond between our two organisations.   This work has been limited as visits have focused on other aid work providing less time to take forward ZIEH and support for the profession.
3. Development of a degree course at University of Zambia (UNZA) through amendments to the curriculum, other support and donations of technical equipment and literature. 
4. Provision of the UK weekly and monthly professional magazines to the 12 ZIEH regional offices in Zambia.
5. Two 3 month Commonwealth Fellowships from Zambian EHOs, in 2007 and 2008.

Fields of work

HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB, Management / Human Resources, Maternal and Child Health, Primary Health Care, Research, Respiratory Health, Tropical diseases

Current activities

The partners have just been awarded an International Health Links Funding Scheme grant to improve post qualification and in service training of Environmental Health Officers and Environmental Health Technicians and Assistants to better deliver basic public health services to the most deprived communities in Zambia.

This will lead to:

1. Increased numbers of graduate equivalent practitioners with greater skills, knowledge and practice to address public health issues.
2. Provide in-service Continual Professional Development (CPD)/E training to plug identified skills/knowledge gaps with the Environmental health cadre.
3. Greater awareness of the role of Environment Health Practice for good health and examples of good practice disseminated.

This will be achieved through:

1. Needs Assessment for CPD training for Environmental Health staff and the identification of other required support.
2. Programme of formalised practice-based learning to teach EHTs graduate level skills, knowledge and learning.
3. Provision of training for practitioners in Health Impact Assessment, CIEH Train the Trainer training to enable practitioners to pass on knowledge to communities, and  CPD in best practice in the region on vector control, health promotion etc.
4. Development of electronic communication systems to identify, document and disseminate best practice.

Link requests

Reference books and equipment (computers, lab equipment, etc) for the Environmental Health degree course and for Environmental Health staff working in the field.

Contact information

UK
North West Region, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
Natasha Franklin – International Chair NW Region CIEH

Email: natfranklin99@yahoo.com

Zambia
Zambian Institute of Environmental Health
Allan Rabson,ZIEH President

Email: rabmbewe@yahoo.co.uk