Health Action Fund Update: TI Cameroon & TI Kenya

TI’s Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2017 Health Action Fund (HAF) Grants!

In its second instalment the Health Action Fund, in cooperation with the Indigo Trust sought out opportunities to support innovative, technology-driven solutions to overcome barriers to accessing healthcare, and ensuring the accessibility of quality and affordable medicinal products. We received 12 proposals in total in response to the Call.

The successful Chapters are TI-Cameroon and TI-Kenya.

Brief summaries of the project to be implemented can be found below.

Implementing Chapter: Transparency International Cameroon

Project title: Improving Basic Healthcare Service Delivery in Cameroon by Promoting Innovative Whistleblowing Technique

Project Summary: In 2010, Cameroon’s National Anti-corruption Commission evaluated the intensity of corruption in public hospitals at 80%. Among the causes was the weak whistleblowing mechanism for patients who have been victims of corrupt practices to voice their complaints. This project intends to develop a web platform for implementation at two hospitals in the city of Yaoundé that will enable patients to report corrupt practices, and thereby discourage health practitioners from engaging in corrupt activities. The project aims at reinforcing transparency, accountability, and participation by raising the awareness of patients and practitioners to change their habits and oppose corruption, and by promoting the adoption of integrity values and behaviors from patients and health practitioners.

This project contributes to both long and intermediate objectives of the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Programme, specifically long term result 4 – Comprehensive and systemic change shall be made to improve the quality of service delivery at the patient level. In the same line, the project will contribute towards PHP intermediary results 4.1 and 4.2 – Patients will be made aware of their rights within healthcare and will then be able and even ready to effectively exercise them; and Health practitioners will be made less susceptible to corruption at the point of service delivery and at the patient level.

 

The Project will be implemented by TI-Cameroon’s team consisting of (from left to right): Implementing Officer, Francis Simeu; Communications Assistant, Vanessa Achu Ngega; and volunteer, Bienvenu Michel Bindzi.

 

Implementing Chapter: Transparency International Kenya

Project title: Enhancing implementation of the Mobile Drug Tracking System (MDTS) to improve service delivery at health facilities

Project Summary: The Mobile Drug Tracking System is a social accountability tool that aims to increase citizen participation through the tracking of pharmaceutical commodities at local health facilities. The project seeks to improve service delivery through installation of an offline version of the system at three health facilities to complement an already existing web-based system. The project will enhance transparency and accountability in pharmaceutical procurement and supply, and promote accessibility of pharmaceutical commodities to citizens through improved management of commodities at health facilities.

This project contributes to both long-term and intermediate objectives of the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Programme, specifically long term result 4 – Comprehensive and systemic change shall be made to improve the quality of service delivery at the patient level. In the same line, the project will contribute towards PHP intermediary results 4.1 and 4.2 – Patients will be made aware of their rights within healthcare and will then be able and even ready to effectively exercise them; and Health practitioners will be made less susceptible to corruption at the point of service delivery and at the patient level.

The Project will be implemented by TI-Kenya’s team (from left to right): Consultant, Felix Obareh; Head of Programmes, Sheila Masinde; Finance Manager, Njeri Ngathoga; Executive Director, Samuel Kimeu; and Programme Officer, Jackline Were.

We are thrilled to be collaborating with our Sub-Saharan African partners and will be providing regular updates on the success of these projects, so watch this space!