Recorded presentation

Stephen V. Redding, Management Sciences for Health, 165 Allandale Rd., Boston, MA 02458, 617-942-9323, sredding@msh.org and Richard Brennan, Dr, International Rescue Committee, 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168.

By far the most urgent challenge following the end of conflict, is maintaining the peace. Ensuring the health of displaced populations, returning refugees, demobilizing soldiers and the population in general is critical because it gives them hope and energy to build their future. Yet, in the period immediately following peace, international organizations with relief mandates pull out, and donor interest often turns too slowly to reconstruction, creating a gap in both funding and technical assistance in the provision of care. The presenters will examine health system reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Angola, Sierra Leone, and Liberia to illustrate the importance of bridging that gap through close partnership between development and relief efforts, coordination between organizations and the host government, local capacity building, and phasing out relief gradually as local capacity grows. The health impact and the capacity of local health systems to maintain positive trends in these four settings offer good models for post conflict transition. A collaborative approach featuring a high degree of communication, coordination, networking and capacity building between organizations, and governments with disparate mandates working with the same population can promote peace and stability. Strategic alliances that work out models for post-conflict transition in advance of their happening assure that pitfalls are avoided in the field between organizations.

Learning Objectives:

• a) List the key dynamics of post-conflict reconstruction that make it unlike relief or development.
• b) Articulate the difficulties and benefits to the target population of creating a smooth transition from emergency health care to health systems reconstruction.
• c) Articulate the model for strategic collaboration in transition of health systems being developed by MSH and IRC.

Keywords: Refugees, International Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Management Sciences for Health International Rescue Committee
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation