The document discusses the author's experience working on health education projects in developing countries over the past year. It touches on several key points: 1) There is a large gap in healthcare between Africa and developed regions like Europe. Projects aim to address this through training and partnerships. 2) The author helped establish a health education program and degree, though challenges included adapting to different organizational cultures and ensuring sustainability. 3) Lessons were learned around navigating the priorities of various stakeholders while maintaining community-focused solutions. Looking ahead, more complex, long-term approaches may be needed to effectively strengthen health systems.

1. The Wrong Title The ……. Message ? The Wrong Person

2. My year of learning about developmental issues Supporting Educational Programmes?

3. The Wrong person

4. The wrong message ?

5. How did I get involved? He understood the leprosy of the leper, the darkness of the blind, the fierce misery of those who live for pleasure and the strange poverty of the rich De profoundis Oscar Wilde

6. What did I get involved in …? IHLS Grant £180000 Health Links for a SSA Palliative Care BSc The “development world” The “educational world” Supervision by 3 organisations Lots of interesting people… Lots of headaches and hard work????

7. Why health links ? MDG’s are probably going to fail Africa 2 health care workers per 10,000 Europe 32 health care workers per 10,000 SSA 24% worlds disease 11% of its population and 3% of its health care workers One World Conservatism: A Conservative Agenda for International Development 2009 THET 20 yrs ago Prof Eldryd Parry , 115 links

8. What did I do Getting evidence into practice: what works in developing countries? Siddiqui, Newell, Robinson Int J Qual Health Care (October 2005) 17(5): 447-454 A systematic review of the effectivenes of training in emergency obstetric care in low-resource environments. L van Lonkhuijzen et al BJOG 2010;117:777–787 . The Asymmetries of University Partnerships between Africa and the Developed World: Our Experience in Botswana. Prof John D. Holm, Dr Leapetsewe Malete

9. What did I do Africa books, Economics books History of development Look at NGO’s and similar projects Look at medical teaching Learn about budgets

10. What have I learned? NGO speak Cultural issues Organisational issues Areas of opportunity..?

11. NGO speak Memorandum and Evaluation documents Culturally sensitive Sustainability Civil Society Inclusiveness Best practice, paradigm shifts Proactive, Operationalisation Rosetta Stone of M+E

12. McNamara Fallacy Measure whatever can be easily measured Disregard that which cannot be measured easily Presume that which cannot be measured easily is not important Presume that which cannot be measured easily does not exist.

13. Cultural Issues

14. 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture…. 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society Learn the language!' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.' Kevin Rudd

15. NGO’s and Westerners , NOT AFRICANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It. We are tired of this continent worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture…. 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' We speak various African languages, not English, French , Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society Learn the language!' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our people, Our tribal rules Our beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great African freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

16. Exporting Tribalism

17. Who are they???` “ sullen dull people who never hurry and work as they please” “ Plodding easily contented people and over emotional” “ The roads are so bad we had to go through another country” “ tradesmen and shopkeepers take advantage of you and are thieves” The Germans 1900

18. Who are they??? “ give the impression of being lazy and utterly indifferent to the passage of time..” “ no desire to teach the people to think independently” “ Lightness of heart, no planning and live for the present” The Japanese 1910

19. Organisational Issues Donor Agendas can distort priorities Multiple Agencies across Multiple cultures can be interesting The number of NGO’s can be overwhelming

20. Achievements 2 years of Bsc achieved by hard work of degree team (not me) Health Link gradually improving Good Understanding how THET and the IHLS work Keen faculty despite a slow start Foundations laid

22. The future Very long way to go and under funding pressure Faculty of experts meeting Nov 8th Basic versus Complex solutions Complex ways of passing on basic solutions is the way forward

26. 16 th September 2010 THET and British Council Launch ‘Round Three’ of the UK International Health Links Funding Scheme A call for applications for a third round of a UK government funded initiative to support health systems in developing countries Deadline 5:00pm on Friday, 31 December 2010. Grants will be awarded from the beginning of April 2011.