Low-income countries face many challenges regarding the health of their populations.
Sound policy-making needs appropriate capability to undertake research and policy analysis, and to use evidence to inform decisions about how resources should be allocated to improve health…
One of these challenges relates to identifying and implementing policies about how to use available resources to improve population health. These resources relate to health care, but also to activities such as housing, education and agriculture. Sound policy-making needs appropriate capability to undertake research and policy analysis, and to use evidence to inform decisions about how resources should be allocated to improve health.
Thanzi la Onse capability building comes in the form of activities to strengthen capability in health economics across Southern and East Africa, by developing skilled researchers and improving knowledge amongst policy-makers in Malawi, Uganda and the wider region on evidential requirements for resources allocation. Skills development is supported right along research career pathways, through strengthening existing institutions and by building stronger working relationships between local research and policy-making communities.
Examples of Thanzi la Onse capability building activities include:
Provision of Short Courses
-
Training courses tailored to the participants’ needs
Thanzi la Onse’s Capability Building activities are flexible and aims to respond to demands of researchers and policy-makers working in Southern and East Africa. We are open to receive enquires about course provision. Some of our courses are designed in partnership the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA) to support health economics capacity development across the region.
-
Distance learning courses
As the Thanzi la Onse programme develops we will aim to provide a suite of openly available distance learning courses accessible online. The courses will draw upon existing training provided at the University of York but will be tailored to the health care challenges specific to the Southern and East Africa region.
-
ODI Health Fellows Training Day: an introduction to health economics
Thanzi la Onse delivers training to the latest cohorts of post-graduates economists and statisticians accepted onto the Overseas Development Institute’s (ODI) prestigious Fellowship Scheme.
Based upon demands in their host countries, ODI Fellows may then deliver the course to colleagues from Ministries of health and other interested participants in their host countries, with support from Thanzi la Onse researchers.
Development of health economics training curricula
To support the development of an independent regional network of health economics researchers in Southern and East Africa, Thanzi la Onse is supporting curricula development in collaboration with universities and training institutes within Southern and East Africa. We welcome requests from universities to provide input to health economic curricula development.
The Health Economics and Policy Unit
A key element of Thanzi la Onse in Malawi is the opening of a Health Economics and Policy Unit (HEPU) at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi (Lilongwe Campus).
The Unit will contribute to strengthening an independent network of health economics researchers in Malawi. In addition to supporting research locally, the Unit will be responsible for training and developing individuals through courses in health economics and related disciplines delivered through the HEPU and the College of Medicine. It is envisaged HEPU will become a regional hub of health economics expertise.
