Source: United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) |

Workshop for Building Capacity of Analyzing Disrupted Health Systems

EU/Libya Health System Strengthening Project 2: Strengthening Health information system And Medicines Supply chain management SHAMS Project in Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya, August 24, 2017/APO/ --

An intensive workshop was launched on Monday aiming to build capacity of analyzing disrupted health systems. The workshop is part of the EU funded SHAMS project workplan that is technically led by WHO Country Office in Libya. This capacity building activity will take place during the period of 21-25 August, and is held in Carthage Thalasso Hotel in Tunis. The target audience of this intervention was middle to senior officials of the Libyan Ministry of Health responsible for the medicines supply chain and health information management.

Under the leadership of HE Dr Omar Bashir Altaher, Minister of Health and technical guidance of Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative and Health of Mission in Libya and the continued EU support of Mr Stefan Sotgia, Development Manager, EU Delegation, Libya the workshop is on track for building the capacity in Libya for sustainable development.

The overall objective of this workshop is to strengthen technical skills for analyzing disrupted health systems and learn lessons that help improve the situation in Libya. In addition building analytical thinking of the Pharmaceutical Management Board and Health Information Centre management so that they have a better conception of the inter-disciplinary nature of health systems. It will help build up capacity of the effective health services in order to meet the health needs of the Libyan population. The workshop is also expected  to contribute to the overall improvement in supply chain management practices with reduced shortage or malfunctioning of essential equipment, responsible use of medicines especially antibiotics, improvement in health facilities utilization rates (access to essential medicines) that will ultimately lead to better disease surveillance.

Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain noted that “WHO is mobilizing humanitarian as well as health systems responses to address Libya’s priorities. He, then added, that health system should be addressed in a coherent and interdependent approach. It is undividable and cannot deliver if addressed in a piece meal approach”.

Professor Nureddin Araibi, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Health has co-chaired the opening session and emphasized the importance of developing health systems analytical capacity at central level as well as in the regions. Having this in place it would be more effective for the Ministry of Health and its related institutions to work more effectively together and provide the right response needed.

This workshop is part of the EU funded SHAMS project interventions and is designed to address the major challenges facing health information system and medical devices and medicines to improve access and quality of health services for all population in the country.  WHO is working closely with the Libyan policy makers and professionals to identify key constraints and devise models to strengthen and improve the health-care supply chain cycle on a sustainable development pathway.

We believe that by learning from the experiences in countries with disrupted health systems and building Libyan systems analytical capacity together with WHO technical assistance provided, the health-care sector could improve access to quality data, needs assessment, effective procurement, distributors, and ready access to medicines for effective and integrated patient centred health services to the population. Building capacity for analyzing disrupted health system is delivered in partnership between WHO Libya and the health systems experts of the Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands.

Dr Atef El Maghraby, Project Coordinator and Dr Hala Taleb, Medical Office, Policy and Planning, EM Regional Office have also provided technical input and operational support that contributed to the successful outcomes. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).