COUNTRY PROGRAMMES

International Health Partners recognizes that the Millennium Development Goals cannot be met by 2015 without a substantial increase in the capacity and expertise of the health systems in the Developing World. Much excellent work has been, and is being, undertaken by international agencies, pharmaceutical company donors and NGOs to increase access to medicines in the major global disease areas. Additionally, significant effort is being placed into training up frontline clinical staff.

However, there is much to be done in ensuring that there is the suitable infrastructure available to both manage the healthcare system and to ensure that the necessary medicines, vaccines and supplies are available when and where they are needed. Fake medicines are ubiquitous across Africa, life giving supplies lie untouched for lack of the requisite cold chain or delivery mechanism.

IHP’s Country Programmes aim to bring the public, private and voluntary sectors together, both internationally and locally, to collaborate in order to address some of key needs within the health system which cannot be met from local resources alone.

IHP has two country programmes that it is directly managing - in the Gambia and Pakistan.  However, IHP is also seeking to support the 10 country programmes that are managed directly by our Health + Hope Alliance partners - in Afghanistan, Bolivia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The first full Country Programme is being undertaken in the Gambia in collaboration with the Department of State for Health & Social Welfare, the World Health Organisation, local and international NGOs and international healthcare companies.  The aim of The Gambia Health Alliance is to enable the safe and effective donation of skills, products and services by international donors, to meet strategic needs of the Gambia's Health Strategy Plan, while encouraging accountability, transparency and good governance.

A summary of our programme can be seen here. The Gambia Health Alliance Declaration brings together all medical NGOs operating in the Gambia. Donors wishing to provide medicines, supplies or equipment to the Gambia should complete and return the donation form found here to IHP at offers@ihpuk.org

IHP's second programme is being run in Pakistan.  Following a meeting with the Pakistan Prime Minister and the provincial Chief Ministers and Health Ministers of Punjab and Sindh, IHP is running a 5 year programme in conjunction with Government, the World Health Organisation and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association.  The programme combines medical donations to the major reference hospitals and capacity building in the medicines supply chain and the improvement opf pharmacy services. In addition the savings from the donated medicines are enabling the establishment of the first Neo-Natal Screening centres in the country and the rebuilding of capacity in Obstetric Fistular Surgery.