EPN - Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network

Netlink is the members’ email newsletter for the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN). Netlink aims to help members keep in touch with what is going on in the Network. If you have any information to contribute or comments on the content, or if you would like to unsubscribe, subscribe or recommend someone to receive it, please contact info@epnetwork.org

First thought: “Because we have this hope, we are very bold” II Corinthians 3:12

• See you soon - Kampala, May 1^st 2004

• New format for e-Pharmalink

• Summary of EPN's strategy for 2004-2006

• Summary of the Board meeting

See you soon - Kampala, May 1^st 2004

Lots of EPN members will be getting together at a three-day meeting in Kampala to discuss the next stage of the Drug Supply Organizations research project. We will be hearing about the overall conclusions and our objectives of the meeting are:

New format for e-Pharmalink

The second edition of e-Pharmalink is out now and in a new format. This means that peoples’ computers will have to be able to deal with emails in HTML format. Please contact us if you have any trouble opening or reading e-Pharmalink.

Summary of EPN’s strategy for 2004–2006

Entitled ‘Strengthening the Network and intensifying its impact’, this strategy reflects an overall shift in thinking, from process to impact-focused activities and networking.

It is believed that strengthening the Network will lead to the increased involvement and commitment of members and further develop the activities of the Network, and as a result increase the Network’s impact and sustainability. Progress in strengthening the network will be measured against compliance with the network model and impact will be measured against country-relevant goals.

Intensification of impact will focus on EPN’s core mission—improving standards of pharmaceutical services in church-related health services. The Network will develop two key programme areas, with the implementation of country-based strategies around access to essential medicines and increasing the role of churches and church health services in HIV/AIDS treatment.

Organisational Strategic Objectives for 2004–2006

The Network now has these three programme areas. Programme proposals have been developed with a number of Network members and fundraising has started.

A strategy to increase and intensify impact

The strategy document explains that with an increasing understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and impact methodologies, the Network has identified a need to target its activities in a more coordinated manner so that individual interventions reinforce each other to achieve greater overall impact. Thus, instead of responding as and when a wide variety of needs are expressed, the Network has introduced two programme areas that are to be carried out through country-based strategies.

First, access to essential medicines, which are a core need for church health services and a specialist knowledge area for EPN. EPN has developed a set of recommended guidelines that need to be in place in order to maximize access to essential medicines. These guidelines form the basis of the country strategies for this area of work.

Second, in response to the overwhelming impact of HIV/AIDS, the Network will work to increase church health services’ response to HIV/AIDS treatment opportunities, which rely heavily on high quality pharmaceutical services. This is particularly important as church health services provide as much as 50% of all formal health services in sub-Saharan Africa.

These two programme areas will be carried out in addition to the network building process. Netlink will carry summaries of each area in future months, but further information is available from the Secretariat—just e-mail us.

Sustainability

The key problem for the Network’s sustainability at the moment is the downward spiral in capacity to maintain the network and create change, caused by a lack of financial resources. For example, fundraising may take place and is only partly successful; then fundraising has to stop while activities are carried out for which funds have been secured, leading to less resources and less capacity. The aim for this three- year period must be to break this cycle by drawing on as much Board, country focal point, and in-kind capacity as possible.

The ‘condensing’ of activities into three specific areas (networking, access, and HIV/AIDS treatment) and the drawing up of programme area proposals will, it is hoped, allow for increased and more effective fundraising to support a move towards balancing size, demand, and capacity for the organization.

This is not a strategy for growth per se, but growth of some form is an urgent requirement if the organization is to successfully move to a sustainable network with increased capacity.

Summary of the Board meeting

The first Board meeting of 2004 took place on 7-9^th February in Moshi, Tanzania. All Board members attended except for Dr Manoj Kurian and Dr Peter Okaalet who we missed greatly.

The Board’s main agenda items were the review of 2003, including the audit report and the annual plan for 2004. It also began preparations for the annual PAG meeting.

The approved narrative and audit report for 2003 are now available to any member requiring a copy. The Board also identified Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Togo as countries of special focus for building the network this year. Priority was given to the DSO feedback meeting (see earlier in this newsletter), which will provide a major meeting point for Network members. It will also identify some of the country work plans for the access to essential medicines programme. The Board also approved proposed plans for fundraising for the HIV/AIDS programme.

The proposed PAG theme for 2004 is 'Quality of medicines: threats and opportunities'.

The Board identified the need to have a regular interaction with the World Council of Churches (WCC) health desk and other ecumenical partners. To this end, it authorised an immediate meeting with the WCC team in Geneva to share the EPN plans and also to plan for joint activities. This has since been done (see next newsletter for details).

The Board also carried out an internal evaluation of its own work. Going through the evaluation was an eye opener for all of us. It very clearly clarified the roles of the Board and provided a way of assessing how well the Board is working and what areas need to be improved. We all felt a lot stronger as a group because we had been through this process.

On a lighter note, we participated in an impromptu traditional dancing party with students of the Mama Clementina Foundation. Well, we certainly could not match the flexibility of the young girls and the struggles of the middle-aged group were a sight to see! But we had great fun!! 

—end—