Boston's Management Sciences for Health Wins $186 Million in Funding From USAID

Business Wire, Oct 16, 2000

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

BOSTON--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 16, 2000

Money Will Pay for Three New Programs Aimed at Improving Health

in Developing Countries

Management Sciences for Health (MSH), which has a recognized history of performance and expertise in worldwide health management, has been awarded funding totaling $186 million by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for three new projects. These worldwide projects will expand and improve reproductive health and AIDS programs in Africa; strengthen the management and leadership of health services in developing countries; and increase access to commodities such as drugs, vaccines and contraceptives in those countries.

The USAID awards follow by less than one month a $29.9 million grant to MSH from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a better means to deliver vaccines and other essential drugs to poor children and families around the world.

"Millions of adults and children worldwide die each year from conditions that are easily prevented--women from pregnancy-related illnesses, children because they were not vaccinated," said Catherine Crone Coburn, President of MSH. "These awards will enable MSH to expand the work we have done for nearly 30 years with local governments and private organizations to improve health.

"Our overarching goal with all three projects is to decrease developing countries' reliance on US assistance by building their capacity to manage health and family planning services and drug logistics systems," added Crone Coburn. "Each project will provide opportunities for health managers from developing nations to share their experiences and work together to find solutions to their problems."

The USAID awards will be used for the following programs:

-- The ADVANCE Africa project, a $92 million, five-year cooperative agreement
to improve access to and the quality of reproductive health services throughout
Africa. MSH has partnered with the Academy of Educational Development (AED),
the Centre for African Family Studies (CAFS) in Nairobi, Kenya, Deloitte
Touche, Family Health International (FHI), and the Nairobi-based Forum for
African Women Educationalists (FAWE). The project will be managed by MSH out of
Washington, D.C., with regional offices in Kenya, South Africa, and Togo.

-- The Management & Leadership Development (MLD) Program, a five-year, $57
million agreement, will work to strengthen management systems and increase the
leadership capacity of health professionals in developing countries. The MLD
program will build capable, dynamic organizations and programs that deliver
high quality, integrated services and increase the body of knowledge of
management and leadership in the international health field. A key component of
the MLD will be the development of checklists, tools, and multimedia resources
to help organizations and individuals meet the health needs of women, men, and
children. MLD program management will be based in Boston.

-- The Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus (RPM ) Project, is a $37 million
effort aimed at helping developing countries to improve their access to and
appropriate use of drugs, vaccines, and contraceptives. Managed by MSH out of
Washington, D.C., this program will work with up to 20 countries over the next
five years, with a particular focus on improving the availability of drugs in
the areas of maternal health, child survival, HIV-AIDS, and infectious diseases
such as tuberculosis and malaria.

Management Sciences for Health is a private, nonprofit, educational organization that works collaboratively with health care policy makers, managers, providers, and clients to help close the gap between what is known and what is done to solve basic health problems. MSH seeks to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and sustainability of health and family planning services by improving their management, promoting access to these services, and influencing public policy. MSH has 30 years of experience providing management training and technical assistance in over 100 countries. Its skilled personnel, innovative methodologies, and comprehensive textbooks, training materials, and software help promote effective health management in developing countries. For more information, visit www.msh.org.