New Directions for Health

The January/February 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs features an article, by Laurie Garrett, on global health challenges. The piece argues that "few donors seem to understand that it will take at least a full generation (if not two or three) to substantially improve public health" given current
trends and the magnitude of the problems with which developing countries are faced.

The implications for organizations like Mercy Corps are clear: integrated approaches, improved coordination with other agencies and capacity building for local health institutions become paramount if one is to adopt this longer view toward the development of sustainable health care systems.

The article closes with the following warning: "For the day will come in every country when the charity eases off and programs collapse, and unless workable local institutions have already been established, little will remain to show for all of the current frenzied activity."

In the past year, Mercy Corps' Health unit has been working to fine-tune their strategy. A Health conference was organized in February 2006 (in Ethiopia), and an HIV-AIDS conference was held in
November (in Nepal).

This issue of The Bridge covers such topics as:

• The conceptual shift to community based models and a rights based approach in Health programming
• Work with private business to provide water to villages in Eritrea
• Various approaches to involving communities in education, advocacy and improving quality of care for tuberculosis interventions in Pakistan
• Establishing community pharmacy programs that offer less expensive prescriptions for community members, and
• Mobilizing communities to improve the quality of health care and create sustainable systems.