THET welcomes DFID’s announcement of a new Health Systems Partnership Fund

THET welcomes DFID’s announcement of a new Health Systems Partnership Fund

Posted on 07. Jun, 2010 by Rach in Latest News, Press Release

London, 7 June 2010

THET welcomes DFID’s announcement of a new £5 million Health Systems Partnership Fund which will enable more British health professionals to share their skills with midwives, nurses and doctors in developing countries through teaching, training and practical assistance.

The Fund will build on existing initiatives including the ‘International Health Links Funding Scheme’, which has already given out over 30 grants to support long term institutional partnerships between UK organisations and their ‘Links’ in the developing world.   We believe that it has the potential not only to improve health outcomes in the developing world, but also to strengthen the reputation of the UK health sector for outward looking, innovative work whilst seeking to train and grow our own health professionals through experiences both within and outside the UK.

UK health sector professionals have a proud history of engaging with colleagues in resource-constrained environments to identify innovative ways of transferring skills and improve quality of care.  Multi-disciplinary Links such as the Kings-THET-Somaliland Partnership contribute to a growing body of evidence which supports the thesis that long term institutional partnerships between UK organisations and their counterparts in developing countries can provide much needed structure and resources to channel individual initiative in ways that are more effective, sustainable and accountable to beneficiaries and donors.  Increasingly, training and practical assistance have been integrated within the context of broader health systems and in line with long term national development plans.

The government’s renewed commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality rates is also welcome, and particularly in the broader context of health systems strengthening designed to improve the health of vulnerable populations.  The Health Systems Partnership Fund has the potential to amplify existing initiatives aimed at reducing maternal and child deaths, as well as encourage new holistic programmes, designed with partners to improve public and medical education, access to services and delivery of care.

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Notes to the Editor:

  1. THET is an international health charity committed to improving health services in developing countries through strengthening long-term capacity. Based in the UK, we have over twenty years experience working with health institutions around the world, promoting action that is effective, sustainable and responsive. For more information please visit www.thet.org.
  2. International Health Links Funding Scheme is jointly managed by THET and the British Council, and provides grants and support to health institutions across the UK, working with partners in more than ten of the world’s poorest countries across Africa and Asia.  It is jointly funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and the Department of Health (DH): http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-healthlinks.htm
  3. NHS Framework on International Development has been developed to provide greater clarity on how NHS agencies and individuals can best maximise their potential to contribute in a sustainable and appropriate way to capacity-building in developing countries. For more information on this Framework please visit http://www.ihlc.org.uk/Framework/framework.htm
  4. For examples of ‘Health Links’ which have undertaken specific activities to support maternal and child health, see examples such as the Gwent-Southern Ethiopia Health Link and the Kambia appeal on the THET database: www.thet.org

For more information about THET and Health Links please contact Rachel Schofield on +44 (0)20 7290 3892, or by email at rach@thet.org .