Annual Program Report 2004 - American International Health Alliance

Photo: John Capati
The concept that we can accomplish more through collaboration
than working alone is a cornerstone of AIHA's twinning
model. Team-building exercises such as this one encourage
physicians, nurses and other care providers to work together to
provide comprehensive, integrated healthcare services.
with support from AIHA and Abt Associates with
USAID funding, has broad representation of medical
education institutions in Central Asia, with 10
from Kazakhstan, eight from Kyrgyzstan, two from
Tajikistan, 10 from Uzbekistan and one from
Turkmenistan. In 2004, its activities were tied
closely to the medical education partnership’s
activities. The Council discussed regional standards
of medical education and uniform qualifications
for graduates. The rectors have agreed to begin
drafting accreditation standards using guidelines of
the World Federation for Medical Education.
Strengthening Nursing Education and
Leadership in Central Asia
The first multi-institutional and multi-country
partnership on nursing education and leadership
was initiated in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan with the University of Minnesota’s
School of Nursing (UMN). The partnership is
strengthening nursing curricula, teaching strategies,
practice standards and professional independence.
Nurse educators from UMN assessed implementation
of the existing nursing curricula and
recommended a phased approach for basic and
advanced curriculum models. In June, the partners
held a planning workshop in Bishkek in conjunction
with the Central Asia Nursing Council and
formulated partnership priorities and objectives.
Central Asia Nursing Council
Created in 1999, with support from AIHA and
USAID, the Central Asia Nursing Council’s principal
goal is to promote collaboration in nursing
education, practice, specialty training, research,
management, regulations and associations in the
five countries of the region. During 2004, the
Council finalized the Manual on Family Nursing
for distribution, approved the draft Regulations on
Nurse Registration System, and revised model
clinical practice guidelines on malaria, tuberculosis
and diabetes.
Health Management Education in
Uzbekistan
In 2004, the Tashkent/Lexington, Kentucky, health
management education partnership focused on
developing the undergraduate health management
curriculum, with graduate and continuing education
courses to be developed in later years. In May,
a training-of-trainers (ToT) workshop in the new
curriculum was given to 15 faculty members and
administrators at the First and Second Tashkent
State Medical Institutes. University of Kentucky
faculty assisted in the first 36-hour course taught
to medical students and the Uzbek faculty has
since taught the course to 470 students.
Support for Healthcare Policy
Development and Health Management
in Turkmenistan
At the request of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of
Health and Medical Industry, AIHA initiated a
new project with USAID support to develop a
Health Management Training Center at the
Ashgabat Medical Institute. The Kazakhstan
School of Public Health and Virginia
Commonwealth University, formerly of the
Almaty/Richmond health management education
partnership, provided health management ToT
training as part of the new project. In addition,
AIHA organized a study tour for five health and
finance ministry officials to learn about different
approaches to healthcare financing in the United
States and Canada. The group visited private
health insurance companies, government-financed
programs and universities.
18 American International Health Alliance