The Health Division of GIZ contracts APPLICATIO to plan and conduct a workshop on "Health Management – Improving Decentralised Health Services"jointly with the  "University of the Philippines - Manila, Department of Clinical Epidemiology - College of Medicine.

The workshop is part of a four week training programme for managers and administrators form the regions. GIZ writes about the programme:

"Health is a basic human right and a serious economic factor. Individual illnesses, plagues and epidemics put great strain on local economies. The World Health Organisation’s Commission on Macroeconomics and Health has shown that investment in the health care systems of developing and transition countries brings enormous economic advantages. A functioning and accessible health care system is therefore essential to the sustainable development of such countries.

In general, developing and transition countries lack the funds to support adequate health care – especially poorer segments of the population. Patients often have to pay large sums for treatment, and treatment is normally of poor quality. Poverty is a serious health risk. Illness, conversely, brings with it the very real danger of impoverishment.

GIZ’s programme on district health management is aimed at developing concepts to increase health care quality and ensure that the poor have adequate access. The programme emphasises decentralised administrative structures. Decentralisation and strong local governments are not just the basic elements of good governance. They also play a role in making crucial health care for local populations possible.

More than ever, well-trained managers are needed in the health systems, hospitals and local government administrations, if health care is to be made widely available. These managers need more than just expertise in health care. They must have good leadership and communication skills, innovative ideas and be able to work collectively with regional networks.

GIZ’s district health management programme qualifies participants to identify the specific issues that must be addressed in their local areas, train and provide personnel to meet the identified needs, develop a long-term planned approach, support an adequate health care system with limited funds and make it accessible to all segments of the population. Our training seminars strengthen the health care system as a whole and support training institutions in developing sensible curricula and modern teaching methods and materials" (Source: http://www.inwent.org)

APPLICATIO conducts this module for the third time with the first two runs having been implemented in Vietam.