Recorded presentation

Leon Ngoma M. Kintaudi, MD, MPH, Medical Office, Protestant Church of Congo, Ave. de la Justice, Kinshasa-Gombe, Congo-Kinshasa, 243-98271814, leonkintaudi@afrinet.cd, Paul Derstine, President, Interchurch Medical Assistance, College Avenue, P.O. Box 429, New Windsor, MD 21776, and Franklin Baer, DrPH, MHS-TM, Baertracks, 326 7th St., Harrisonburg, VA 22802.

The Protestant Church of Congo (ECC) is an umbrella Faith-Based Organization (FBO) of 60 Protestant communities throughout Congo. ECC currently manages one of the largest primary health care projects in Africa, SANRU III. ECC management of the SANRU projects demonstrates how large scale complex projects can be effectively and efficiently managed by FBOs.

From 1981-91, ECC managed, on behalf of USAID and the Ministry of Health, the SANRU I/II bilateral projects to develop 100 decentralized health zones/districts across DR Congo. About 50% of Congo’s 306 health zones (and 75% of the health zones assisted by SANRU I/II) were co-managed by Protestant and Catholic FBOs.

ECC, in collaboration with Interchurch Medical Assistance, now manages a large is a cooperative agreement for SANRU III (2001-2006) to help rebuild and revitalize health zones across Congo. Almost all of the 56 health zones currently assisted are co-managed by a local FBO of the Protestant or Catholic Church. The project works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health as their primary national program for health zone development.

Lessons Learned from the experiences of ECC and I.M.A. are that:

1) The co-management of health zones/districts by FBOs can be an effective strategy to decentralize the management of a national health system

2) Health zones/districts co-managed by local FBOs contribute to sustaining health services , especially during times of civil unrest

3) The management of a large national project of projects by an umbrella FBO is feasible, effective and efficient use of resources.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation participants will be able to

• Define “co-management of health zone” as used in DR Congo
• Identify two reasons why local FBOs can be effective co-managers of health districts.
• Explain how an umbrella FBO can provide effective management of large scale PHC project.

Keywords: Public/Private Partnerships, Management and Sustainability

Related Web page: sanru.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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