Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Venue: Education Centre, Nevill Hall Hospital

Apologies
Mr Yogesh, Mr Weerakkody, Professor Houston, Taj Hasan, Sarah Powell, Dave Sanders, Rev Marsden

Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting were accepted as being an accurate record.

Matters arising
Dr Aberra’s one year long sabbatical to India for specialist urology training has been confirmed. The link will support the cost of this. In his absence, Dr Yifru, Dean of the Medical School will act as Link Co-ordinator in Ethiopia.

Professor Helen Houston will lead a team from Cardiff University visiting Hwassa in the beginning of March to establish links with the University in Hwassa.

The Link is keen to work with the German Association of Tropical Surgery Link in Ethiopia, in particular identifying joint training schemes.

Welsh Assembly Funding Application
A group of Link members have recently worked on a submission to WAG for £35,000. WAG has made available £50,000 for projects in Africa. The Link application for £35,000 consists of

• £10,000 for further CME programme
• £20,000 to raise 4 health centres to exemplar centres of excellence, teaching centres with training, equipment, computers, lab facilities etc. This work has the support of our colleagues in Ethiopia who have already identified four health centres, which are currently teaching centres, to be used for the project.
• £5,000 for infection control studies. Investigations are planned to look at environmental and cross infection to aid better understanding of the issues.

The priority area will be the exemplar health centres.

Biku and Carole from the link will be making a presentation at WAG on Friday. The presentation must focus on ‘International sustainable development’.

It is thought there may be 7 other bids for WAG money from across Wales.

A discussion followed anticipating the possible questions that the team could be asked. The project must be seen to be sustainable, demonstrate a community link, ensure the money is used effectively in Ethiopia and have the ability to measure the outcomes. Also, what does Gwent/Wales get from the project?

If only partial funding is received, the health centre project will have priority and if the bid is unsuccessful, the health centre project will go ahead but will have to be modified.

Visit to Ethiopia in March 2007
Dave Williams will be heading a group of 7 laboratory team travelling to Hwassa Hospital in March to undertake a ‘train the trainers’ course, teaching laboratory students as well as provide technical support to staff at the University. The group will consist of 2 microbiologists, 2 haematologists, 1 microbiology lecturer, 1 biochemist and 1 infection control nurse.

Pete Smith will be looking at setting up a blood bank.

Projects on cross infection will take place looking specifically at surveillance, teaching and audit as well as developing laboratory services at health centres. Practical training for students will also take place in Hwassa. Thanks to Pamela currently working in Hereford will explore developing the biochemistry component of the project.

Developing a community link
Alan Terry from Abergavenny community forum explained developments of the community link. He has attended a meeting recently with PONT and also a meeting in Bristol.

A UN sponsored award is available ‘Gold Star Community Award’ worth £5,000 together with support for 1 year from a project officer. There are 5/6 communities in Wales involved. The Abergavenny group is hoping to put forward a bid with the help and support of our link Ron Bell and Carole Garrick attended a meeting today with the Brynycwm group. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the project. The bid needs to demonstrate how one community can benefit another community, building up relationships, identify and meeting their individual needs.

Biku offered his support to complete the necessary documentation.

Sally has contact with the PONT group and she outlined the link they have developed. Individual groups established links with schools, medics, faiths, and council etc. They expanded very quickly to become semi autonomous groups. Sally felt that the link PONT has with NGO has benefits.

The community link has obvious advantages for the WAG bid for funding for health centres in Ethiopia with the possibility of 4 communities associated with the health centres being supported. This is a very exciting potential development and we wish the group success with their application for the award.

Further information about the PONT link can be found at www.pont-mbale.org.uk

The group was also urged to register on the link website and use the forum.

Annual General Meeting
The meeting was followed by the Annual General Meeting. The details of this are available here.