Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
USAID awards $45 million
Healthcare Systems Strengthening project
AMMAN (JT) — The US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Jordan has
awarded a new project for Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) to the US-based
company Abt Associates as part of its support for the health sector in Jordan.
This new 5-year $45 million project will work in partnership with the government
and other private and NGO partners to further improve and institutionalise a
responsive, quality-oriented public healthcare system in Jordan, according to a
US embassy statement.
The initiative will assist the Ministry of Health in its efforts to build the
capacity of health workers and sustain improvements in the quality of healthcare
at the local community, health centre, hospital, governorate, and central
government levels.
The HSS project will build on the accomplishments of USAID-funded projects such
as Partnerships for Health Reform plus, the Applied Epidemiology Programme, the
Private Sector Project for Women's Health, the Jordan Health Communication
Partnership, as well as the recently completed Primary Health Care Initiatives
Project.
Through the HSS project, USAID, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and
the Royal Medical Services, will train health service providers on clinical and
management skills, the statement said. The project will also improve the quality
of healthcare services, develop and implement certification and accreditation
systems for healthcare facilities and service providers, computerise the health
management information system networks, and expand the health clinics' outreach
to their local communities.
It will also help improve safe motherhood and neonatal healthcare-related
services at primary healthcare centres and hospitals.
Finally, the new project will renovate and upgrade up to 28 hospitals and 32
primary health clinics belonging to the Ministry of Health and the Royal Medical
Services.
Since 1997, USAID has provided over $140 million in grant funds to help improve
the health sector in Jordan.
USAID's health programmes in the Kingdom seek to improve quality of services,
enhance health policies and systems, and promote practice of healthy life
styles.