EPN - Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network

First thought:   

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God."  Matthew 5:29

This edition includes:

BUFMAR develops strategic plan 2008 - 2010
EPN board-chair and coordinator visit partners in Europe
EPN members to participate in FIP congress
Human Resources for Health crisis: CHAK seeks solutions
Baseline studies on access to medicines feedback meeting held in Uganda
HIV and AIDS treatment literacy for Church leaders: Assessing impact
HIV and AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing: ODE offers support
New staff members join EPN team in Nairobi
Post-election violence in Kenya: EPN secretariat and staff members are safe

BUFMAR develops strategic plan 2008 - 2010

EPN member Bureau des Formations Médicales Agréées du Rwanda (BUFMAR) held a workshop from 20th to 24th November 2007 to develop its strategic plan for 2008 – 2010 and its operational plan for 2008. Through the development of the strategy, BUFMAR hopes to streamline its activities in procurement, human resources, the adjustment and extension of the storage area and the development of a decentralized distribution system.

The participants at the workshop included BUFMAR’s board of directors, clients and partners of the organization. Technical assistance was provided by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) which is involved in strengthening institutional capacity and human resources in the health sector.

EPN board-chair and coordinator visit partners in Europe

The EPN board-chair and coordinator visited EPN partners in Europe from 27th January to 5th February 2008. They visited various partners in The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.

In Germany they visited Bread for the World (BftW) where they gave an update of the activities that EPN is currently undertaking with BftW’s support. BftW was concerned with the political situation in Kenya where the EPN secretariat is based. The EPN team reassured BftW that all EPN staff members and their families are safe. BftW inquired whether EPN was involved in the disaster response to the skirmishes. The coordinator reported that EPN was working with its member, CHAK, to mobilize churches and CHAK’s health institutions to provide HIV/AIDS treatment to those who have been displaced and are living in camps. EPN is working with a consultant to specifically provide church health services with information in regards to the situations of the people at the camps and, of existing health institutions in the affected areas and near the camps. These will ensure that the strategies and options that are devised will make it possible for patients on treatment to access treatment, care and support within their current living conditions.

The EPN team also visited EPN member Difaem where they held discussions on Global Fund’s next round of funds. The call for proposals for Round 8 has been announced and the deadline to submit proposals is 1st July 2008. This discussion was important as the Network members are eligible to access the funds. However challenges exist for EPN on accessing the funds as Global Fund disburses its funds through a Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) for activities within countries while EPN’s activities cover more than one country.

While in Germany the board chair and the coordinator also visited EED. They thanked them for their support recently, in seconding a new Francophone Programme officer to work at the EPN secretariat. EED informed the EPN team that they had initiated a new programme where they would second a public relations person to work for one to two years with an organization to build the capacity of the organization to tackle public relations issues. Though the preparations for this would take up to one year, it would be ideal for the EPN secretariat to engage this service.

While in the Netherlands the EPN team also met with Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) officers and they discussed EPN’s work and the re-organization within ICCO.

On their visit to Stockholm, Sweden the EPN team visited the offices of Action on Antibiotic Resistance (ReAct). ReAct is keen to support EPN activities in Antibiotic Resistance (ABR). In this regard EPN hopes to develop materials that will assist in advocating for support to alleviate the consequences of ABR. They also visited the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) which also offered to fund ABR activities.

EPN members to participate in the FIP congress

EPN members will hopefully participate at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) 68th congress scheduled for 29th August – 4th September 2008 in Basel, Switzerland. EPN members will make a presentation on the experiences with EPN’s guidelines for effective and efficient pharmaceutical services and the subsequent access to medicines baseline studies. At the congress the EPN coordinator will lead a session on discussing hospital procurement of medicines.

Human Resources for Health crisis: CHAK seeks solutions

In 2007, Christian Health Associations of Kenya (CHAK) conducted an assessment of its member church health facilities. Among the findings of the assessment was the challenge of retention, motivation and development of human resources within the mission health sector. To help identify and agree on a set of priorities for human resources for health (HRH) particularly for the faith-based organizations sector, CHAK held a meeting on 4th February 2008 at the Emmaus Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting also served as an opportunity to develop a three-year HRH action plan.

A key recommendation made for the action plan included developing guidelines of best practices for HRH. Other issues that would form part of the action plan would include developing a concrete, comprehensive and long-term agreement between the Ministry of Health and the faith-based health sector. This agreement would look into issues including remuneration, developing a comprehensive retention strategy for the faith-based organizations sector including in hard-to-reach areas, strengthening leadership and management skills at all levels and strengthening of human resource management practices.

EPN members are encouraged to network amongst themselves to get more information on HRH activities. The Christian Health Associations (CHAs) are particularly encouraged to follow up on the HRH issue with CHAK as the challenges they face are similar hence the recommendations made could be applied to their situations.

The participants of the meeting included hospital administrators from CHAK member facilities, staff from Capacity Project, AIDS Relief and EPN.

Baseline studies on access to medicines feedback held in Uganda

Following the access to medicines baseline study conducted by the EPN members in Uganda in 2007, the feedback meeting to inform the respondents about the results of the study was held in Kampala, Uganda from 28th – 30th January 2008. The full report of the findings will be provided soon.

HIV/AIDS Treatment Literacy for Church leaders: Assessing impact

To assess the impact of HIV/AIDS Treatment Literacy training for Church leaders in Uganda, the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) in collaboration with EPN held an impact assessment workshop on 28th and 29th January 2008 in Forto Porto, Uganda. The workshop sought to identify what activities the Church leaders had organized to implement the knowledge they received from the training by EPN.

The impact assessment workshop brought together not only those who had been trained directly by EPN but also those who had been trained by the Church leaders. On the first day of the workshop the Church leaders who had been trained in 2007, met to assess how far they had implemented their action plans. On the second day those who had been trained by the Church leaders joined in the workshop to see how the training they had received from the Church leaders had impacted the lives of the communities they serve. The assessment was primarily conducted through Focus Group Discussions (FGD).

From the workshop the importance of networking and advocacy was emphasized. In this regard when conducting its HIV/AIDS treatment literacy workshops, EPN will include sessions on how to undertake networking and advocacy in areas surrounding access to HIV/AIDS treatment.

HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing: ODE offers support

EPN Country Focal Point organization (CFPO) in Burkina Faso Office de Développement des Eglises Evangéliques (ODE) participated in the inauguration of a Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centre on 1st December 2007 in Toma, Nayala Province, Burkina Faso. During the inauguration over 700 people were tested and counselled for HIV. ODE and its development partners, churches and evangelical missions as well as individuals and legal entities support the VCT centre by offering financial resources and equipment.

New staff members join EPN team in Nairobi

The EPN secretariat is pleased to welcome two new staff members. James Mireri joined the team in January as the accountant. James who previously worked with Resolution Health East Africa has four years experience as an accountant.

Also joining the secretariat is Ms. Anke Meiburg as the new Francophone Programme officer. Anke takes up the position of Hans Peter Bollinger who left EPN in February 2007. Anke is a pharmacist who previously worked in Cameroon for two years. Before coming to Kenya in mid-January, she spent two months in Burkina Faso getting acquainted with some of the Francophone members and undergoing an induction from Hans Peter.

With the engaging of Anke, we believe that the Francophone members will become more visible by participating more in the Network activities.

Post-election violence in Kenya: EPN secretariat and staff members are safe

The EPN secretariat staff members are grateful to all who got in-touch with us to enquire about our safety following the post-election violence that engulfed Kenya earlier in the year. Though the operations at the secretariat were slightly delayed at the beginning of the year due to the situation, the EPN staff members and their families are all safe.

We pray that peace will be fully restored following the signing of the power sharing agreement. Pray also for those who have been adversely affected that they rebuild their lives. God bless Kenya!

-----END-----