News of 10 January 2012

New Political Leadership for the Swiss Development Cooperation

The editorial is published in German and French language only.

Network MMS: What's up?
Network MMS: News
Job Opportunities
International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

Network MMS: What's up?

Das Gesundheitswesen El Salvadors im Umbruch
Zürich, den 24. Januar 2012
El Salvador medico international schweiz | Michael Kleutgens, genannt Paco, Arzt und langjähriger Projektkoordinator in El Salvador, berichtet über die Herausforderungen und Chancen der tief greifenden Gesundheitsreformen unter der FMLN-Regierung. Mit Beispielen aus der Behindertenarbeit zeigt er auf, welche Veränderungen auf politischer und auf gesellschaftlicher Ebene nötig sind, um auch Menschen mit einer Behinderung ein Leben in Würde zu ermöglichen.
http://www.medicointernational.ch/

Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries
Basel, 12 March - 15 June 2012
Swiss TPH | This 3 months full time course aims at introducing participants to the fundamentals of international health with a range of skills and knowledge needed to work as a member of a district management team. The participatory course is designed for people who already have a first qualification in a health-related profession, and at least two years' experience. Scholarships offered to participants from countries with resource constraints by SDC and the Canton of Basel-Stadt allow an exciting intercultural teaching and learning setting. Participants learn both from the teaching of a wide range of experts, and also from each others' experience. The course is accredited by tropEd and the University of Basel as a post-graduate academic Course which leads to the degree "University Professional".
http://www.swisstph.ch/teaching/professional-postgraduate/hcmtc.html

eHealth in Proof and Practice: Opportunities and Challenges in International Health
Basel, 8 May 2012
Swiss TPH | Years ago the concept of ”eHealth” was discussed only in its general manifestations, but of course, things change. The focus of the spring symposium will be on the review of evidence and best practice of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) to enhance health services and population health over the past decade.
http://www.swisstph.ch/?id=1476

Health District Management: Planning and Programme Design
Basel, 18 - 29 June 2012
Swiss TPH | The course aims at introducing the basic principles of strategic program and project management. It is based on exercises that simulate real problems in planning and management as closely as possible to real life situations. Participants are working in small groups (max. 6 members) and take the roles of a project design mission - the group work is supervised by experienced facilitators. Using the Logical Framework Approach and other tools they will go through all steps of such a planning process and will write a project proposal document.
http://bit.ly/v14DQl

Health District Management: Priority Setting and Resource Allocation
Basel, 2 - 13 July 2012
Swiss TPH | This two-weeks module is a simulation exercise applying the latest tools for assessing population health needs, establishing district intervention priorities, and allocating district health resources in a context of limited funding. In small groups participants take the roles of district health planning team members and will elaborate a full District Health Plan and Budget that responds to population needs, health system realities and resources, and contemporary evidence on effectiveness of interventions. During the learning process, students will apply practical computer-based tools and health information analyses to understand current coverage/access constraints retarding equity-effectiveness of a district health system. In addition they will set evidence-based priorities for intervention strategies, and allocate appropriate shares of resources to address population health need.
http://bit.ly/rNaSKF

Network MMS: News

Grundlage für nachhaltige Wirkung
Neuen Förderprinzipien von Aids & Kind
Kenya , South Africa Aids & Kind | Die Stiftung Aids & Kind hat sogenannte Förderprinzipien erarbeitet und fokussieren ihr internationales Engagement ab 2012 auf die beiden Länder Kenia und Südafrika. Für jedes Land werden nur noch zwei Partnerschaften eingegangen. Diese müssen sämtliche Principles erfüllen Die Partner aus Kenia liegen bereits fest, in Südafrika wird noch evaluiert.
http://www.aidsundkind.ch/pages/index.php?lang=0&page_id=leist_pro_welt

Toward an open-access global database for mapping, control, and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases
Geostatistical analyses of disease distribution in space and time
Swiss TPH | "After many years of general neglect, interest has grown and efforts came under way for the mapping, control, surveillance, and eventual elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Disease risk estimates are a key feature to target control interventions, and serve as a benchmark for monitoring and evaluation. What is currently missing is a georeferenced global database for NTDs providing open-access to the available survey data that is constantly updated and can be utilized by researchers and disease control managers to support other relevant stakeholders. We describe the steps taken toward the development of such a database that can be employed for spatial disease risk modeling and control of NTDs."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22180793?dopt=Abstract

Malaria Deaths Are Down but Progress Remains Fragile
World Malaria Report 2011
(D) WHO | "Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25% globally since 2000, and by 33% in the WHO African Region, according to the World Malaria Report 2011, issued today by the World Health Organization. This progress is the result of a significant scaling-up of malaria prevention and control measures in the last decade, including the widespread use of bed nets, better diagnostics and a wider availability of effective medicines to treat malaria. However, WHO warns that a projected shortfall in funding threatens the fragile gains and that the double challenge of emerging drug and insecticide resistance needs to be proactively addressed."
http://www.who.int/malaria/world_malaria_report_2011/en/index.html

An approach to addressing governance from a health system framework perspective
Review of contemporary health sector frameworks
BMC International Health & Human Rights | "As countries strive to strengthen their health systems in resource constrained contexts, policy makers need to know how best to improve the performance of their health systems. To aid these decisions, health system stewards should have a good understanding of how health systems operate in order to govern them appropriately. While a number of frameworks for assessing governance in the health sector have been proposed, their application is often hindered by unrealistic indicators or they are overly complex resulting in limited empirical work on governance in health systems. This paper reviews contemporary health sector frameworks which have focused on defining and developing indicators to assess governance in the health sector."
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/11/13

Job Opportunities

Ärztin/Arzt für Geburtshilfe und Gynäkologie
Stellenausschreibung der Bethlehem Mission Immensee
BMI | Die Bethlehem Mission Immensee sucht für unsere Partnerorganisation, das St. Theresa’s Mission Hospital der Diözese Ndola, eine/-n Ärztin/Arzt für Geburtshilfe und Gynäkologie. Die Kirche übernimmt in Sambia viele Aufgaben des Staates, vor allem im sozialen und gesundheitlichen Bereich. Das St. Theresa’s Mission Hospital gewährleistet seit 1960 als ein „General Hospital“ die medizinische Grundversorgung in einer äusserst armen, ländlichen Region. Das Spital in Ibenga erhält vom Staat wenig Ressourcen, weshalb die Diözese bei der Bethlehem Mission Immensee um Unterstützung durch eine Fachperson anersucht. (pdf)
http://bit.ly/vh7JxV

INTERTEAM-Koordinator oder Koordinatorin für Namibia
INTERTEAM | Per 1. Juni 2012 sucht INTERTEAM einen/eine KoordinatorIn mit folgenden Aufgaben in Namibia: Programmplanung und Umsetzung; Partnerschaften zu lokalen Organisationen definieren und pflegen; Einsätze (Fachleute) begleiten; Administration.
http://www.interteam.ch/index.php?cID=840

Expert régional en Suivi et Evalutation
Annonce du Swiss TPH
Swiss TPH | Le Swiss TPH cherche un expert régional en suivi et evalutation (Poste basé à Yaoundé, Cameroun). Dans le cadre du projet Prévention. VIH/SIDA en Afrique Central (PPSAC) financé par la coopération financière allemande (KfW) et mis en oeuvre par l’Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC). (pdf)
http://bit.ly/uWIJno

Kfm. Mitarbeiter/in 70-80%
Stellenausschreibung Swiss TPH
Swiss TPH | Das Schweizerische Tropen- und Public Health-Institut sucht für die Abteilung Kurswesen und Ausbildung per 1. April 2012 oder nach Vereinbarung eine/n Kfm. Mitarbeiter/in 70-80%. Die Aufgaben umfassen die administrative Unterstützung bei der
Planung und Durchführung von postgraduierten Kursen in Internationaler Gesundheit. (pdf)
http://bit.ly/y0qROn

Arzt oder Ärztin mit Erfahrung in Pädiatrie
Stellenausschreibung des Vereins Partnerschaft Kinderspitäler Biel – Haiti
(D) VPKBH | Der Verein Partnerschaft Kinderspitäler Biel – Haiti sucht einen/e PädiaterIn, Assistenzarzt/ärztin in fortgeschrittener Pädiatrie-Ausbildung oder Allgemeinmediziner/in mit Erfahrung in Pädiatrie. Es erwartet Sie eine herausfordernde und abwechslungsreiche Tätigkeit einerseits im Bereich der Pädiatrie im Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Haiti, und anderseits in der Weiterbildung des nicht-ärztlichen Personals in Dispensaires (Ambulatorien). (pdf)
http://bit.ly/yUodJ1

International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

WHO Reform: threats and opportunities
A Healthier Political Functioning
MMS | The current reform process of the World Health Organization (WHO) brings crucial questions about international health governance up. Eduardo Missoni* has written a profound analysis of the process for this magazine.
http://bit.ly/vfljVS

Human Resources for Health
SolidarMed Position Paper
SolidarMed | Getting the right workers with the right mix of skills to areas where they are needed most is key to improving health service delivery outcomes Sub-Saharan Africa will not meet any of the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 if current rates of progress continue. This is primarily due to weak health systems characterised by the limited capacity, low motivation, absenteeism and overall severe shortage of health workers at all levels. This paper highlights some of the reasons behind the HR crisis and presents the experiences, lessons learned and future strategies of SolidarMed to strengthen the health workforce in SSA.
http://bit.ly/yLQScF

A Comprehensive Framework for Human Resources for Health System Development in Fragile and Post-Conflict States
"Production" of health personnel is not enough
PLoS Medicine | "The efforts of development partners and the government typically concentrate on the “production” and training of health personnel, but this approach neglects other elements and often the necessary linkages between them. While there is potential value in focused forms of support, they will be much less effective, with negative effects on both systems and population health, when they are unbalanced, incomplete, or miss the necessary linkages between them."
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001146

Auf der Couch mit der globalen Gesundheit
Wer interessiert sich noch für die Gesundheit der Ärmsten?
MMS | Wirtschaftskrise und veränderter Medienkonsum machen es zunehmend schwierig, Interesse für Themen der internationalen Gesundheit zu finden. Einige Stiftungen gehen deshalb neue Wege, schreibt Martin Leschhorn Strebel in der letzten Ausgabe der Zeitschrift "Soziale Medizin".
http://www.medicusmundi.ch/mms/services/med/med201104.html