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January to December 2008

HERA keeps on growing in terms of partners ...

  • Birgit Kerstens, health economist, has joint HERA as a full-time expert and HERA partner as from August 2008. See her profile in the list of partners.
  • Karen Campbell, human resources expert, has been with HERA providing long term expertise to the MoH in Zambia for about two years. She has been invited by the HERA Board to become a HERA partner.
  • Please look at the individual profiles of the new members under partners.

In order to attract more junior experts, HERA has adjusted its institutional set-up. A new structure has been approved by the General Assembly in August 2008.

And in terms of networks in the south ...

  • HERA has established a formal collaboration with SECHABA consultants in Lesotho and with SEDES in Niger, Koni Expertise in Maliand HAL in Bangladesh.

HERA participates actively in networks in the North and seconds some of its staff to support those networks:

  • Martine Vandermeulen chairs "Be-cause Health", a platform where Belgian development agencies, DGOS, BTC, NGO's, universities, public health schools and private companies meet.
  • Wilbert Bannenberg is member of the work group on essential medicines.
  • Vincent Litt is member of the work group on human resources.

Over the past year HERA has engaged in some very interesting undertakings:

  • Long-term technical support to the MoH in Zambia has been continued in the area of human resources. The two-year contract will be extended for another two years, as per request of the MoH.
  • HERA, together with HPI UK and Health Link UK, has won the contract with DFID for starting up and running of the META Secretariat (Medicines Transparency Alliance) - see HERA's experience in the pharmaceutical sector or click on the web link above for more information on META).
  • HERA, together with SHER, has won the MTR framework contract with BTC.
  • HERA has executed the global Thematic Evaluation of UNFPA experience in increasing aid effectiveness through participation in SWAps. The valuation has come up with challenging recommendations for UNFPA to strengthen its commendable engagement in SWAps.
  • A major HIV/AIDS survey has been carried out in the Region of the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros) targeted at boat people.
  • HERA has provided support in developing and assessing aid-effectiveness and financing mechanisms, for example:
    • Evaluation of the Belgian general and sector budget support
    • Western Africa: Developing the concept and operational modalities of a Reproductive Health (RH) Regional Financing Mechanism (RFM) in ECOWAS countries
    • Myanmar: Preparation of a Multi-Donor Health Fund
    • Cameroon: Analysis of the financing mechanisms of health districts with a view to develop a joint financing mechanism
    • Globally: Thematic Evaluation of UNFPA experience in increasing aid effectiveness through participation in SWAps
    • Participation in health SWAp reviews in Bangladesh, PNG and Zambia
  • Apart from supporting META countries (see above), HERA has supported pharmaceutical sectors in several countries including CARICOM, East Timor, Ethiopia, Namibia, Suriname, Tanzania and Zambia.

-updated December 2008-