How do you start? - Dreamers and doers Key Principles Practical Concepts Working together Good Practice Show & Tell NHS Wales for Africa Beginning from a Primary Care setting

NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Dreamers & Doers

How do you start? Dreamers and doers Keys Principles & Practical Concepts Working together Good Practice Show & Tell NHS Wales for Africa Beginning from a Primary Care setting

International Friendship / Partnership Community Building Sustainability Millennium Development Goals Maximise funds raised to reach Africa (pay your own way for core professionals) First, do no harm NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Key Principles

Where?Develop existing link or start a new one? Consider: feasibility, communication, accessibility; political stability, safety, potential partners; would you be welcome? Take advice Exploratory visits. NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Practical Concepts

Take advice: international NGOs local knowledge (expats) other links Early visits: look, listen, learn. CLARIFY meet people: local officials, key players, potential partner(s),primary care workers. share your ideas. Make no promises (yet). NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Practical Concepts

“I would be of most value with my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut” Peter Burgess co-founder and chief executive officer, Afrifund Group,New York (Personal View, BMJ 13 Nov 2004)

Gather a team:Dreamers & Doers enthusiasts overseas experience supporters Tell people:LHB, colleagues in primary care, your community (media, publicity). Parallel links: think about education, other healthcare links, engineering, churches, civic. NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Practical Concepts

International links: long term friendship agree some ground rules start small, keep talking Encourage local links: share ideas and skills, resources; joint local committee Complement existing health services : target unmet needs; regular contact with local LHB; interfacing / integrating NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Working Together

Identify key players: partner organisation leaders, managers, health care workers local govt. health directorate Build relationships: regular contact / phone; networking on visits; exchange visits Agree needs, projects : needs assessment (see MDGs); agree projects Build on what works: support good local initiatives capacity building, sustainability working towards self-sufficiency NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Good practice

Governance: reports, accounts; inbuilt checks and balances Monitor effect of interventions: reports, surveys, data collection; govt. health care data; periodic review / analyses; targeted visits / assessments. Feedback, encouragement : local health workers conference home partners, supporters NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Show and tell

2005: roll out of projects; malaria treatments; community drug kits 2007: integrated training health workers, bednet distribution need for capacity building (NGO administration) need to identify more local volunteers need to procure further funding malaria treatments and drugs through govt. clinics recognition of status volunteers, working with govt clinics recommendations on training, tools for good practice following training assessment visit (Univ. Snr. Lecturer) NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Regular review and future planning :

Opportunities & Challenges

People will give you the answers they think you want to hear. Keep asking questions of many people by many people – you will gradually build up a jigsaw picture of understanding. You will make mistakes. Risk manage by being well informed. Listen to advice from your overseas partners. They are the local experts and know their communities and culture best. Local networks exist that you don’t yet know about or understand. Working with multiple local partners working together can bring unexpected benefits to the partnership. Be careful what you promise. You may be taken at your word. Building trust takes time. “By their fruits you shall know them” Plant a sapling… NHS Wales for Africa - Beginning from a Primary Care setting Learning points: Top Tips

Linking can be hard work and a great deal of fun. Plenty of inspiring new challenges! See our own situation in a global context. Friendship and faithfulness valued. NHS Wales for Africa Beginning from a Primary Care setting Key learning points

Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust pont-mbale.org.uk