Global Health Projects: Iraq
Training Model Primary Provider (TMPP) (2005-2006)
Client/Agency
United States Agency for International Development
Background
Decades of war and instability have left the Iraqi health care system -- which 30 years ago was one of the best in the Middle East -- badly damaged. Maternal and infant mortality and diseases such as respiratory illness, diarrhea, measles, and malaria are on the rise. Malnutrition further threatens the health of the population.
As part of the U.S. reconstruction effort in Iraq, 150 primary health care centers are currently under construction around the country, and there's a great need to train the providers assigned to work in these centers, with a focus on updating and improving the providers' technical knowledge and clinical skills.
RTI's partners in this project include IntraHealth International and International Health and Development Associates. Also supporting this project will be the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Training, George Mason University, and the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies.
Purpose
To develop a professional training program for Iraqi health care providers.
Activities
The project will assist the Iraq Ministry of Health (MOH) in developing/adapting curricula and implementing training for an essential cadre of physicians, nurses, center directors, and center teams that will provide primary health care, with a special focus on child care and integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI). TMPP will use proven best practices in instructional design for curriculum update and refinement so that curricula are easy to use, easy to update, and cost-effective to replicate. Curricula will be developed in English, Arabic, and Kurdish.
As implementation begins, the project will train, prepare, and equip a core cadre of trainers to assist MOH in rolling out cascade training of service providers throughout Iraq. Project trainers will model behavior and offer content that is engaging and instructive.
TMPP will also focus on strengthening the management skills of health care center directors to enable them to effectively and efficiently manage their centers and ensure the quality of services provided to the public. This training will help directors determine the priority of health care needs in their communities: planning resources, monitoring staff performance, and evaluating quality of delivered services. TMPP will train 5,000 staff in order to support MOH in planning and implementing center team-building and problem-solving approaches. Before the project phases out, TMPP will work with MOH to develop a 3-year, medium-term strategy and plan.
TMPP will implement training in gender sensitivity and health care delivery; these are critical issues in Iraq today, because many health indicators -- such as high levels of maternal mortality and fertility -- are associated with deteriorating women's status.
TMPP will also manage a grants program of up to $5 million to ensure that MOH has adequate assistance in planning and managing resources during the training rollout.
More Information
- Improving Health Care Services in Iraq (brochure)