Final report : evaluation of health institutions funded by AID 122(d) grants for African programs

health institutions - Howard University (HU), Meharry Medical College (MMC), Tuskegee Institute (TI), and Drew Postgraduate Medical School (DPMS) - to assist health program development in LDC's. Special evaluation covers the period 9/78-5/83 and is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with project personnel/beneficiaries. Progress has varied according to institution, each of which has had a different focus - HU on integrated rural health delivery systems and nutrition planning/ecology; MMC on maternal/child health and nutrition; TI on environmental health/sanitation and integrated rural/community development; and DPMS on the latter and on health planning and management. Notable achievements have included creation of institutional linkages with African governments and with African and U.S. institutions by DPMS, which also computerized its data center, augmented its faculty, and provided TA to Costa Rica, Kenya, and Egypt; creation of an African Resource Clearinghouse by MMC and of a Health Information Center by TI; agreement by MMC with Malawi to exchange experts and research; study visits to African institutions by TI personnel; hosting of or participation in international seminars and conferences (by all); and development of international health courses or limited training programs by all institutions. Initation of nine such courses has been the main achievement of HU, which otherwise failed to meet its goals of training faculty to assist LDC health projects, engaging in faculty and student exchanges, and researching rural African nutrition/ecology. Leadership changes and subsequent reorganizations have delayed program development at HU, MMC, and TI, while DPMS experienced personnel, funding, and curriculum problems. Lack of supervision and technical support by A.I.D. was cited as a major problem by each institution, although A.I.D. denies the extent of this criticism. Although most institutions could have have accomplished more, the project's overall impact on them has been positive. Time and funding extensions to allow further program development are chief among the 16 recommendations made.