Abstract

This project will enable the Institut national de recherche en santé publique (INRSP) to play a key role in the government's policy of decentralizing the planning, budgeting, and management of health services to the "circle" (district) level. Project activities will include training two researchers to the MSc level in health services management and evaluation; organizing a 2-week training seminar for some 20 partners (physicians, social workers, INRSP researchers) in experimental areas, to enable them to make use of the information collected by health centres; organizing a 2-week seminar for 15 INRSP researchers in which four themes relevant to the circle health system will be developed and evaluated by a scientific and technical committee; and supporting the Institute's documentation centre through the acquisition of basic manuals and the accessing of relevant databases.

Post-Project Summary

The Health Care System Research Training Seminar was held at the Rural Research Centre of the National Public Health Research Institute (INRSP in French), in Kolokani, from September 26 to October 11, 1994. Four protocols were developed during this seminar: a community approach to developing and sustaining health community centres in the Bamako District; a study into the financial independence of a rural health community centre; a survey on the impact of sociopolitical, health and economic factors on the implementation and delivery of community health centres in the Bamako District; the status of cooperation between traditional and conventional medicine in Mali. The first three have been combined in a single research proposal and submitted to IDRC to be considered for funding.

The Evaluative Research Seminar was held in Kolokani from October 15 to 30, 1995. It was aimed at familiarizing the 20 participants (physicians, social workers, researchers) with various evaluative and data collection methods, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. This Seminar also helped participants understand the significance of using well defined criteria in selecting reliable and relevant indicators on which decisions can be based during the evaluation process. Two researchers received training in the area of health care system management and evaluation under a masters program at the University of Montreal. One information researcher was given two months of training in data processing techniques. About 15 [INRSP] researchers took part in the Health Care System Research Training Seminar held in Kolokani from September 26 to October 11, 1994.

Finally, thanks to this project, the INRSP Documentation Centre was completely reorganized. All existing documents were sorted, coded and computarized. The INRSP was able to hook on to the Internet after purchasing equipment such as a computer, modem and printer.

Recipient Institution(s)