In recognition of the vulnerability of health workers to Covid-19, from both a physical and mental health perspective, the key objective of the Fund will be to protect the health and well-being of as many LMIC front-line health workers as possible. Working to care for those on the frontlines, providing them with the training, equipment and support they need.
Lives on the Line | The Health Worker Action Fund
Health workers stand on the frontline of this pandemic, without them there is no healthcare and millions of us would have nowhere to turn to.
“We [Africa] are in the morning of the outbreak at the moment. China is in the sunset….The only option we have is to continue to work with global solidarity.”
John Nkengasong, PhD, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control
The Fund will focus efforts within countries where THET have an organisational presence to enable us to ensure coordination of efforts:
Ethiopia | Myanmar | Tanzania | Somalia/Somaliland | Uganda | Zambia
Donations received will go towards providing health workers with:
LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT AND PROTECTION.
Urgently needed protection and resources will keep health workers safe every day. We will fund activities such as:
- Items that support Infection Prevention Control initiatives (e.g. soap, ingredients for making antiviral hand-gel).
- Evidence-based, safe, effective and innovative Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) solutions.
REMOTE TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND ADVICE.
Access to vital information and training to support the detection and treatment of patients affected by COVID-19 can help save lives. We will fund activities such as:
- Remote training on responding to COVID-19, including remote surveillance, using PPE effectively and/or IPC by funding online subscriptions and courses.
- Supporting the creation of mentorship systems where LMIC and UK health workers can share lessons learned and exchange up to date resources and best practice.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY.
Health workers everywhere need, now more than ever, strong support networks. We will fund activities which:
- Support the psychological resilience of health workers, whether through remote training, leadership development or facilitation of support groups (e.g. through Schwartz Rounds).
We are proud that
100%
of all funds donated will be spent on Health Partnership grants.
THET will direct all donations received in the next three months towards this fund.
Donations received in this initial stage are particularly crucial, as they will allow us to support preparedness efforts in our core countries over the next few weeks, potentially enabling institutions and health workers to get ‘ahead of the curve’ as the situation in Africa and Asia progresses. Our team is designing the fund so that we ensure donations are distributed based on need and preparedness of partnerships to deliver on objectives, while also keeping the process stream-lined, dynamic, and quick.
How we will distribute funds
Grants will be awarded to Health Partnerships with a proven track record of managing grant funds appropriately and within our value for money framework. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with applicants able to apply for up to £5,000 in grant funding. To be eligible to receive support applicants will need to be established health partnerships that have both:
- Received funding from THET since 2011.
- A track record in completing and conducting projects to a satisfactory level, including proven ability to manage funds appropriately.
The ultimate recipient of any initiative must be an LMIC not-for-profit/public health facility or health worker/s that will be treating patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. This could also mean a health partnership with a District Health Office or academic institution, that can then support several facilities or health workers, would be eligible to apply.
THET will manage the allocation of funds and the reporting cycles, THET will not take an overhead from this fund and as such all contributions to the fund will go directly to Health Partnership activities.
Click here to apply!
Our Supporters
We are delighted to have the support of Dame Julie Walters as we work to protect the physical and mental health and well-being of health workers in LMICs:
“I came to know of THET through the story of Saed. A nurse on the frontline in Somaliland, the challenges he is facing are different but his dedication to ensuring his patients receive the care they need has remained the same. Today the world is in the midst of a pandemic and we cannot face this alone. We must stand together. I’m proud to stand in solidarity with health workers all around the world and to support THET’s Lives on the Line: Health Worker Action Fund campaign, please stand with us.”
To find out more about our work with Julie Walters, please click here.
Partners
As THET moves to support those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are extremely grateful to have received a contribution to the Health Worker Action Fund from the Fraxinus Trust. Their support will be crucial as we work to provide Health Partnerships with the funding they need to ensure health workers in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Tanzania, Somalia/Somaliland and Uganda are able to access the training and resources they need to provide quality care to patients at this time of great need.
“Our support is an expression of solidarity with those health workers in Africa and Asia who achieve so much with so few resources in challenging environments.”
We are very pleased to have Impax Asset Management as the first of our corporate partners to support the Health Worker Action Fund:
“I am confident that we are enabling health workers to continue maintaining links and learning from each other so that their efforts can be strengthened in the post- COVID-19 era.”
We are delighted to receive support from InfoPro Digital for the Health Worker Action Fund. The kind donations and messages from the staff, some of whom we have worked with closely in the past, are a real encouragement to our work:
‘For the past two years different teams at InfoPro have gotten the chance to grow involved in a range of aspects of THET’s work, so I am delighted we are able to support the Health Worker Action Fund at this critical time.’
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