Hera - van der Heijden Thomas

Thomas van der Heijden, M.D., Master Public Health and Tropical Medicine (º1952)

Public Health consultant. Planning, organisation, financing, management and evaluation of health services and health systems. Health policy. Operational research. HIV/AIDS.
Thomas did part of his study of medicine in Tanzania and remained committed to health development in low income settings ever since.
During his work as tropical doctor in a rural hospital in Botswana he realised that most health problems never reach the hospital and that prevention should take place outside the hospital, which lead to his public health specialisation.
In Uganda, from 1989 to 1993 he coordinated the post civil war rehabilitation of health services in which new approaches of decentralisation were piloted. These experiences proved to be highly relevant for the development of the district health system concept in Uganda and neighbouring countries.
From 1993 to 1996 he was First Secretary and health adviser in the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Dar Es Salaam, responsible for the Netherlands' support to social sectors in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. As a donor representative he was instrumental in the conception of the Sector Wide Approach for health.
From 1997 onwards he works on health development in a consultant's mode, joining HERA as a core-member in 2004.
His consultancy work for bilateral organisations like Danida, DGIS, DFID and the EC often includes analysis of the (potential) roles of international and local Non Governmental Organisations. This has provided Thomas with expertise in the field of Organisational Development.
Post conflict health has been a frequent theme, in which he has contributed to the concepts of health development in the grey area between humanitarian relief and sustainable health development.
The HIV and AIDS epidemic's significance in Africa and Asia is well reflected in his work as many of his assignments have focused on HIV/AIDS interventions at district level, multisectoral action and mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS.
Thomas' preferred role in health development is that of a mediator between policies and academic analysis on the one hand and the practical applicability in low income realities.
As community member himself Thomas participates in several Non Governmental Organisations, one of which is the Board of Directors of the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF).
His field experience is focussed on African countries like Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, but also Yemen and Asian countries like Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, India, North Korea, Thailand, and East Timor.