Newsletter December 2010

Dear colleagues and friends,

Towards the end of this year it gives me pleasure to introduce to you our newsletter, the second in its new format. We appreciate the positive reactions we received on this new way of keeping you updated on latest developments. In this edition you will find the latest news on our psychosocial work with Afghan women, the start of the first health insurance scheme for the poor in Cambodia, growing pains in Sudan, workshops in Burundi, refugee care in the Netherlands, and decisions on international collaboration of the new government of the Netherlands. We look forward to your comments!

Best wishes,
Willem van de Put

South Sudan programmme expansion

Recently, HealthNet TPO has seen a significant expansion of its South Sudan programme. A health system strengthening approach aims increased access to comprehensive basic health services. This includes rehabilitation and re-equipment of health facilities, strengthening the capacity of community structures to effectively manage healthcare, training and the provision of drugs.

New Afghanistan programme: reinforcing the psychosocial well-being of women

Our new programme (2011-2014) in Afghanistan aims at reinforcing the psychosocial well-being of women, by restoring social cohesion on a community level. The programme will actively promote and revitalize helping skills, that are no longer utilized by the local people due to demoralization, collective apathy or a lack of appropriate knowledge.

Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation receives a grant of € 71,5 million

We are very glad to inform you that the Dutch Consortium for Rehabilitation (DCR) will receive a grant of €71.5 million for five years from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The DCR will focus on the rehabilitation of public services, good governance and livelihood.

The future of Development Aid

The new Dutch government plans to argue for changes in the criteria for Official Development Aid (ODA). Is a more critical attitude towards the development sector justified?

Course Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in post conflict areas

This autumn the second Practice Oriented Course Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Post Conflict Areas took place, organized by HealthNet TPO and Cogis. The course prepares (future) fieldworkers to better understand the development and implementation of mental health and psychosocial interventions and to assist local staff in developing these sustainable interventions.

Methodology Development for Special Refugee Reception in the Netherlands

In 2009, the European Refugee Fund granted a two-year action research programme for the development of a new approach for asylum seekers and refugees with complex behavioral problems in the Netherlands. HealthNet TPO implements this programme in close collaboration with the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers.

Number of households insured is growing fast

In the HealthNet TPO newsletter of September 2010 we informed you about the Community Based Health Insurance project in Cambodia. Since the last newsletter, another292 households are now insured against high health expenditures, and the total number of insured households is 439.

Workshop Mental Health and Psychosocial Care in Burundi

In Burundi a three-day workshop took place last October. Aim of this workshop was to reach a common understanding of opportunities and challenges in adopting HealthNet TPO’s overall approach in the implementation of programmes in Burundi, Congo and South Sudan.