Laptops for Health

Connecting good laptops
and good health in DR Congo

 RESUME 

Franklin C. Baer, MHS-TM, DrPH

Primary Health Care Systems Management

E-mail: FRANK@bemorecreative.com

Website: www.bemorecreative.com

My international health career includes 30 years of designing, managing, and evaluating primary health care programs. In 1976, I helped create one of the first FBO-managed decentralized health zones in Zaire (now DR Congo). From 1982-1991, I was project manager for the SANRU I/II Basic Rural Health projects based at the Protestant Church of Congo (ECC). SANRU successfully created 100 health zones across Congo, many of which are co-managed by Catholic and Protestant Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs.

Upon leaving Zaire in 1991, I began working as an independent consultant in order to work with a variety of groups, e.g., donors, centrally funded projects, Ministries of Health, FBOs, and PVOs. Since 1991 I have worked in twenty-five different countries of Africa (and Haiti). I am particularly interested in assignments that involve consensus-building, integrated design, decentralization, and participatory evaluation of primary health care systems that are managed (or co-managed) in collaboration with local FBOs and NGOs.

Today most of my work is once again in DR Congo as the senior consultant advisor to Interchurch Medical Assistance (I.M.A.) and ECC for SANRU III, a cooperative agreement with USAID to assist 60-80 health zones. I also recently served as a resource person to USAID for a “Humanitarian to Development Transitions Workshop” for S. Sudan, and as the primary consultant to the World Bank for the health component design of their PMURR program (Multi-sector Emergency Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program) in DR Congo.

I am also an avid Webmaster. I believe that the Internet can be a useful tool to provide access to resources for international health and primary health care. To this end, I have created a network of more than forty websites at BeMoreCreative.com to share quotations related to creativity and to encourage Thinking, Working and Living More Creatively.

I.          EDUCATION:

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), May 1982:  Intl Health and MCH; Tulane SPH&TM.

Masters of Health Science in Tropical Medicine (MHS-TM), May 1976: Johns Hopkins SH&PH.

Diploma, July 1973: Tropical medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Bachelor of Arts, May 1972: Biology and Natural Sciences, Goshen College, Goshen, IN.

 

II.        PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

 

Delta Omega Honor Society, member since 1982.

National Council of International Health (NCIH): member since 1983.

American Public Health Association (APHA): member, 1997-1998.

Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH): vice-president (1992-1995); secretary

     (1997-98); Webmaster (1997-present); editor of "The CCIH Forum" (1997-2001).

  

III.       PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

 

A.        EVALUATIONS (CHILD SURVIVAL):

Malawi             Tiweko Test Child Survival Project (MTE & FE for World Relief, Aug 02, 04)

Uganda            Community-Based IMCI Child Survival (MTE Africare, Sep 01)

Mozambique    Nacala-a-Velha Child Survival (Save the Children, Aug 00)

Haiti:                RICHES 2000 Child Survival (CARE, July 00)

Malawi:            CHAPS: Child Health Partnerships Project (Save the Children, Apr 00)

Mozambique:    Vurhonga Child Survival Project in Mozambique (World Relief, Sep 97; Aug 99)

Mali:                 Community Health Project at Goundam (Africare, Jul 99)

Zambia:            Gwembe Valley Child Survival Project in Zambia (World Vision, Sep 99)

Nigeria:            Ogbomoso South Child Survival Project (World Vision, Sep 96)

Egypt:               USAID-funded Child Survival Project (POPTECH (Apr-May 96)

Senegal:            Thies Child Survival Project Mekhe Health District (World Vision, Aug 93)

Malawi:            Promoting Health Interventions for Child Survival (PHICS) (RTI, Nov 93)

Haiti:                Voluntary Agencies for Child Survival (VACS project (USAID, Jan-Feb 93)

CSSP:              Proposal reviewer for the PVO Child Survival Support Project (Jan 95, Jan 96).

 

B.                 EVALUATIONS (OTHER):

Haiti:                Final evaluation of the MSPP-IDA project in Haiti (World Bank, Jun-Oct 99).

Mozambique:    Manica Oil Seed and Food Security Initiative (Africare, Feb 99).

Togo:               NGO Capacity to Manage Child Survival Projects in Togo (USAID, Oct 93)

Cameroon:       Final evaluation Tulane's ten year Schistosomiasis project (USAID, May 93)

 

C.        STUDIES AND ASSESSMENTS:

Congo:             Feasibility assessment for an umbrella NGO health project (USAID, Jun 00)

Jordan:             Management Needs Assessment to improve quality of PHC (Nov 99, Jan. 00)

World Bank     "NGOs and Women's Health Services in Haiti: 3 Case Studies," (Jun, 99)

SAVE:             "Strengthening Decentralized Health Systems," (Save the Children,  Jul 96)

The Gambia:     Health Sector Studies to reinforce District Management Teams (MCDI, Jul 95).

Ghana:              Review of the Universal Immunization Program (UNICEF, Nov 94)

Ivory Coast:     Review of the Universal Immunization Program (UNICEF, Dec 94)

USAID/W        "Health Systems Strengthening in West and Central Africa," (AED (Aug 94)

Cameroon:       Assessment of USAID/Cameroon's Health and Pop. Projects (USAID, 87-94)

Burundi:            Health Sector Assessment (USAID, Jan 92)

 

 D.        PROJECT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION:

Global              Partner Leadership Group member for the CAPACITY project (04-05)

S. Sudan          Resource Person to USAID’s “Humanitarian to Development Workshop (Feb. 05)

Haiti:                Strategic Planning workshop facilitator to Hospital Albert Schweitzer (Jan. 03)

DRCongo:        “Point Focal” to the World Bank for the Health Component of the Emergency Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (World Bank, Feb. 02 to Sep 03)

DRCongo:        SANRU III design and implementation (I.M.A./ECC/USAID, Jun 00 to present)

Haiti:                Reassessment of the IDB-MSPP Decentralization project (IDB, Aug, 02)

DRCongo:        Public Expenditures Review: Health Component (World Bank, June-July 02)

Mozambique:    Vurhonga II DIP preparation (World Relief, Jan/Feb 01)

Congo:             SANRU III Phase 1 proposal development (I.M.A., Aug 00, Dec 00)

Congo:             SANRU III feasibility assessment (Tulane & USAID, Jun 00)

Benin:               Develop PROSAF's Monitoring and Evaluation System (URC, Feb 00)

Haiti:                Reorganization of the National Health System project design (IDB, 96-98)

Madagascar:     Consensus workshop urban district planning (Care, Feb-Mar 98)

C.A.R.             Consensus workshop for health system decentralization (World Bank, Nov 95)

Malawi:            Community Health Partnerships (CHAPS) Pre-Design (BASICS, Feb 95)

Niger:               Population and Health Services Project (PHSP) design (Aug-Oct 94)

Niger:               Consensus workshop for an integrated MCH project (USAID, Jun 94)

Malawi:            Redesign of USAID's Child Survival project (PHICS) (Feb 94)

Cameroon:       Project Design for SESA II PHC project (JSI/USAID, Oct-Dec 92)

 

E.         PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION:

Congo:             Senior Advisor to the SANRU III (I.M.A./ECC & USAID, Aug 00 to present)

Haiti:                Reorganization of the National Health System (IAD, Aug 98-Jan 99)

Zambia:            Environmental Health Planning in Kitwe, Zambia (EHP, Feb 97-Mar 99)

Zaire:                SANRU Basic Rural Health project manager (1981-91)

Zaire:                Administrator of the rural health zone of Vanga, (MCC, 76-79)

 

F.         TEACHING (COURSES AND SEMINARS):

Management:    “Leadership and Management” (Global Health Action, annually since 2000)

Evaluation:        “Development of an Evaluation Strategy for an NGO” (MAI, May 00)

NGOs:             "The Role of NGOs in International Health" (Tulane, Aug 98)

PHC:                "Planning and Management of Decentralized PHC Systems" (Tulane, 93-97)

Management:    Health and Development Training Seminars (MAP International, Jul 92, Feb 93)

 IV.       SELECTED PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS:

 Baer, F & Kintaudi, L. The DR Congo Experience in Health System Development and Management, 2005 CCIH Conference, 2005.

 Baer, F et al.:  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1A Renewed Vision for Mennonite Health Care in DR Congo

Baer F, Bongo E, & Pascal M: Health zones and long-term health development in DRCongo, 2004 APHA presentation.

Kintaudi L, Derstine P, & Baer F: Faith-based co-management of health zones and umbrella projects in DR Congo; APHA presentation 2004

Baer, F et al: Rebuilding Primary Health Care and Health Zones in DR Congo; prepared and moderated this 2003 APHA panel presentation .

Baer F. et al. Summary of Environmental Health Project Activities in Kitwe, Zambia (1997-1999),EHP Activity Report No. 59, June 1999.

Baer F:  The Role of Church Groups in Managing Health Districts, presentation at NCIH conference, June 1998 and published in “The CCIH Forum,” Nov. 1998.

Panduka W, Balderrama F, and Baer F: Using Rapid Assessment as a Health Planning Tool in Zambia; Environmental Health Project Activity Report No. 30, Dec. 1996.

Baer F: Health Districts: Middle-Out Health-Development, presentation at NCIH conf., Jun 96.

Baer F: Interrupting Transmission Cycles of Violence, presentation at NCIH conference, Jun 95. 

Baer F: "D" Is for Decentralizing Primary Health Care, paper at CSIH conference, Nov 94.

Baer F: Health Systems Strengthening in West and Central Africa, prepared for AED, Aug 94.

Baer F: "A" is For Alma-Ata: A Primer for Primary Health Care, CEDI, 1989, 1991.

 Baer F, Botswali L, Mukanga L et al.: Planning PHC Resources for Zaire. NCIH 85.