Strengthening health systems and services in the developing world
Strengthening health systems and services in the developing world
Initiatives Inc. is dedicated to improving the health of individuals in the developing world. Our work is aimed at strengthening health systems, improving quality health care, and reinforcing NGO and community organizations. Through our technical assistance to governments, NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, we offer practical approaches to improving primary health care systems, scaling-up HIV/AIDS initiatives, building better reproductive health and family planning programs, initiating innovative safer motherhood programs, and strengthening child health initiatives. Our technical expertise also contributes to improving management, training and human resources systems across the globe.
Project SpotlightThe Guyana Safer Injection Project (2004–2010), funded by the US Agency for International Development, is part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It aims to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS through accidental needlestick injuries by reducing the number of unnecessary and inappropriate medical injections and improving the systems that support safer injection and waste management practices.
Update on Injection Safety Certification in Guyana: To encourage sustainable practices, in 2008 GSIP worked with the Ministry of Health to pilot an Injection Safety Certification process in five Ministry facilities. Using evidence-based criteria, facility teams conducted self assessments to determine their achievement against eight key standards. The teams were supported to develop and implement corrective plans to address their gaps, and trained surveyors conducted external reviews to verify readiness for certification. The enthusiasm for and success in overcoming the challenges has led the Ministry to being scaling up the process. Read more about this project success in this article.
Initiatives Inc. is pleased to announce the establishment of the Jenny Huddart Scholarship Fund at the Boston University School of Public Health to honor the memory of our friend and colleague Jenny Huddart. The endowment will provide annual scholarship awards based on financial need to a deserving student enrolled in the Masters Degree program at the International Division of BUSPH, with a preference for students having a citizenship of a country in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jenny, Initiatives’ Vice President for 20 years, died in June 2008 after a long illness. She is dearly missed. You can read more about Jenny and her extraordinary contributions to the field of international health care on our Tribute page.
Please click here for information on how to donate to the scholarship fund.