Swaziland health planning and management project

PES covers the period 8/81-6/83 and is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with GOS, USAID/S, and International Human Assistance Program (IHAP) staff. Although the originally proposed IHAP team was reduced from five to two members and the project period from five to three years with no reduction in expected outputs, the project has been overwhelmingly successful. Counterpart personnel development and program development officers have been recruited; the former will begin a Master"s program in public health at Tulane University in 8/83. Cooperation among USAID/S, IHAP, and MOH staff has been excellent. MOH counterparts have been involved at all project activity levels, and IHAP advisors attend senior MOH staff meetings, are members of the MOH policy/planning committee, and share offices in the MOH building with their Swazi counterparts. Four MOH staff workshops have been conducted and inservice training plans developed. Progress has been made toward developing long-range health care delivery strategies. Already completed are: the national health policy statement; the five-year health sector and rural health motivation plans; a health manpower assessment with training recommendations; surveys on primary care facilities and on nutritional status; and recommendations for strengthening ties between traditional and western medicine. MOH central- and district-level organizational structure and functional operations have been improved by revising the MOH headquarters organizational chart, developing plans for decentralizing health services management and improving MOH budgeting/personnel policies, and computerizing (ongoing) the health information system. Also, the project has purchased two computers with software and two vehicles and obtained 10 infant scales (from IHAP). Key recommendations are to reduce the scope of work for the remainder of the project and to extend the project for one year with further funding.