Stories from the Field: Realities of field work at 14,000 feet.

High in China’s western Qinghai province is a small village where project DROLMA is based. The population consists of 2,800 nomadic people who move twice a year, to and from their summer encampments which reach 15,420 feet into the sky. The conditions are harsh with short growing seasons; their traditional diet consists of roasted barley flour mixed with yak butter and salted tea. A centrally located monastery with 52 monks in residence provides the spiritual guidance for this community. It was the wisdom of one of their spiritual leaders that made the project a reality. He reached out for assistance, seeking new ideas for problems that have challenged his people for decades.

Stories from the Field: One individual at a time

Public-private partnerships are transforming public health, creating new opportunities to broaden our reach with new partners and ideas. Some of the terminology or business methodology used on the private side is new to those on the public sector. But over time, these differences add to the creative spirit behind such partnerships. Such differences help drive transformations for both public and private organizations, offering new ideas that are tested in one venue and become transferable to another.

Dr. Elvira Beracochea has worked in both the private and public sector, and combined these experiences to create MIDEGO. The model she developed takes basic principles of business management and tailors them to meet the needs of NGO’s. Coaching, mentoring and training are standard development tools offered in the private sector, often used to reinforce a positive culture of growth and development. For NGO’s this is a luxury, where every dollar is scrutinized and valued against the larger needs they serve. Yet for NGO’s, these development needs are just as great or even greater than in the private sector.

Stories from the Field: Just and Lasting Change

On May 28^th, Prof. Carl Taylor was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Global Health Council Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to improving the health care of the world’s most marginalized people through innovative and sustainable community-based interventions. During his acceptance speech, Dr Taylor discussed the future of global health and that new directions will be required to meet the challenges as globalization takes over. He talked about the need to focus on “peoples self reliant social change” and that the greatest problem is going to be the issue of the “worlds total health ecology”. This is when the “3-way partnership” is important; where in addition to the top down officials and programs, and bottom-up self reliant communities, a new generation of health professionals must emerge that specialize in bringing the top and bottom together to find new patterns for collaboration. When this is accomplished, Dr Taylor believes that health for all will be possible and mutual empowerment will begin. (Photo by Medora Hebert, Global Health Council)