Aide Médicale Internationale

The Annual Report 2009 of Aide Médicale Internationale available online

administrateur — 2010-08-12T16:02:29Z

The Annual Report 2009 of Aide Médicale Internationale is available online for free download. This document is structured in five parts (1. An organization dedicated to providing access to health care, 2. Missions, 3. Financial Statement, 4. Health Messenger Magazines, 5. Communication and partners) and presents the programs and activities conducted during 2009 and the financial statement of the association.

Download Annual Report 2009 International Medical Assistance (pdf)

Medical Referent DOCTOR / Yemen

administrateur — 2010-08-03T12:46:32Z

MEDICAL REFERENT
YEMEN

Founded in 1979, at the initiative of volunteer doctors and nurses, Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI), is a French Non-Governmental Organization.
Its objective is to improve sanitary conditions and access to medical services for people who have suffered from political crises, economic or environmental concerns in a spirit of solidarity, without political discrimination, ethnic, religious or racial. AMI is now present in 7 countries (Afghanistan, Thailand, Myanmar, DRC, Central African Republic, Haiti and Yemen).

AMI'S PROGRAM IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN:

Background and History:
Although located in a region regarded as relatively rich, Yemen is now among the 30 least developed countries in the world and is facing major humanitarian challenges. According to UN agencies, over 40% of the population lives below the poverty line with is less than two dollars a day. Despite the efforts made by the government during the last decade, poverty indicators are alarming and the population's access to basic services such as education, health and drinking water is still very limited.
In such a context, while infectious diseases and malnutrition still appear as the main causes of mortality and morbidity, the health status of most of the population is very worrying. In the city as well as in rural areas, the government health system, suffering among others from a lack of financial and human resources, is unable to meet the basic needs of a population increasingly vulnerable.
Given this deplorable situation, international assistance remains low and mainly concentrated in the multi or bilateral aid, whose direct impact on the living conditions of most of the population is perceived with difficulty.
As a result, in line with its intervention in "forgotten" crisis, Aide Médicale Internationale has decided to engage in Yemen. Following an exploratory mission carried out in 2006, the governorate of Al Hudaydah, located in one of the most populated and poorest region in the country, has been chosen for the implementation of AMI programs in the country.
After obtaining cooperation agreements from the relevant government agencies and ministries, the first project funded by the Delegation for Humanitarian Aid of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs allowed the establishment of an operational base and launching of the first activities during the year 2007.

AMI today in the Republic of Yemen:
AMI intends to contribute to the improvement of access to primary health care services for the population of two districts in the governorate - the urban district of Al Hali and the rural district of Al Marawa - with particular attention to the most vulnerable categories such as pregnant women and children under five years old.
AMI strives to strengthen technical, physical and organizational capacities of a total of 13 health structures of the 1st level to enable them to provide services tailored to the needs, with quality and for affordable cost. These health centers and care units cover a population estimated of 109 646 inhabitants.
Priority lines are defined as follow:

Antenatal and postnatal care (detection of pregnancy risks and reduction of risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth);
Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (diagnosis and treatment of major local recurrent diseases such as diarrhea, vitamin A deficiency, respiratory infections and intestinal parasites);
Health education for pregnant women and mothers;
Malaria management (diagnosis and treatment);
Collection, monitoring and analysis of epidemiological data.
In addition to training local medical staff and to supporting their daily work, AMI supplies health facilities with medical equipment and consumables, furniture and equipment. Finally, AMI is also involved in the supply and management of essential drugs. In Al Marawa district, 2 additional aspects are developed:
Prevention and treatment of malnutrition via a CTC program (Community-based Therapeutic Care program);
Mobile clinic activity.

AMI works closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population for the sake of ownership of its projects, the sustainability of the actions and the replication of results to neighboring districts.

The project developed in Al Marawa district is part of a consortium with the French NGO Triangle Génération Humanitaire (TGH). This project aims at reducing food insecurity on the district through a comprehensive approach based on both the agricultural sector and the health sector.

Following the situation in the North, it is now counting more than 175 000 Internally Displaced Persons throughout the country and AMI is currently thinking about the possibilities of getting involved to help the displaced.

Objectives for 2010:

To consolidate, improve and expand current activities on both districts;
To consolidate the support given to the health facilities of Al Marawa district (total of 9 health facilities);
To extend support of malnutrition activities in the district of Al Marawa developing another OTP (Outpatient Therapeutic Program) in the intervention area;
To develop a community program aimed at strengthening the health education and more specifically the nutrition component of the district of Al Marawa;
To supervise mobile clinics in areas of Al Marawa district not covered by government health facilities;
Depending on the situation in the North and the intervention of AMI in the IDP camps, establishment of mobile clinic to provide primary health care to displaced outside camps;
To identify complementary needs and seek adequate funding;
To conduct assessments in other districts of the governorate of Al Hodeidah or other governorates in the country in order to extend our area of intervention.

Composition of the team:

Expatriate team: 1 Head of Mission, 2 Medical Referents, short term missions according to needs (Administrator, Logistician, Medical, etc.)

National Team (AMI staff): 3 Doctors (GP), 3 Midwives, 1 Pharmacy administrator, 1 Laboratory technician, 1 CBHC Supervisor, 1 Administration Officer, 2 Translators, 1 Logistic officer, 1 Logistic assistant, supportive staff .

Funding:
European Commission: 750 000 Euros over 3 years (January 2008 - December 2010);
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 309 000 Euros over 2 years (May 2008 - April 2010);
AFD: 135 000 Euros over 2 years (January 2010 – December 2012).

OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Medical Referent MD is responsible for implementing, monitoring and evaluating medical activities implemented in the targeted health facilities of the districts of Al Hali (4 HF) and Al Marawa (9 HF), as well as in AMI mobile clinic, their consistency and quality in light of the area's constraints, AMI's global medical objectives and specific targets set by the Head of Mission.

The position includes the following dimensions: implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of activities / Health situation analysis/ Local team management/ Partnership and coordination / Reports writing.

RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORKPLACE:

Internal relationships:

He/She works under the direct supervision of the Head of Mission; they decide priorities and actions to be undertaken, according to the proposals. The Medical Referent MD reports activities, achievements and problems he/she will encounter. He/She will make validated important decisions to the Head of Mission;
He/she works in collaboration with the Medical Referent Nurse on the mission to ensure a successful integration and coherence of the mission;
He/she works closely with the Medical Coordinator in the headquarter in Paris who provides support, advice, monitoring and techniques, validation;
He/she manages, supervises and trains the local GP, Midwives and Laboratory Technician;
He/she works in cooperation with partners in the area (MoPHP, UNICEF, TGH, etc.) He/she refers to the Head of Mission for any representation or coordinated action.
He/she takes care to apply the general procedures established and validated by the Head of Mission for the entire mission and legal procedures in the country. He/she works with the different departments of the mission (administration and logistic).

External Relationships:
He/she works in partnership with local health authorities on the field and with humanitarian actors in the zone: local NGOs, international NGOs, UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP, etc.)

DUTIES:

1. Implementation, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of Primary Health Care and MCH activities:

Development of programming in collaboration with the Head of Mission;
Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of AMI local medical team (GP, Midwives, Laboratory Technician) through their following regular duties:
A. Assessment of HF needs in terms of medical and non medical equipment, medicines and medical consumables
B. Supportive supervision to the targeted HF
C. Training to the HF medical staff
D. HF monthly data collection and analysis
Development of appropriate training tools for the HF medical staff;
Conducting collective and individual training in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Population;
Training to AMI local medical team;
Establishment, monitoring and evaluation of a mobile clinic in Al Marawa district (locations identified with Head of Mission and the MoPHP);
Development of necessary medical guidelines with the validation of AMI HQ Medical Coordinator

2. Sanitary situation analysis:

Comparison of the two databases (AMI, MoPHP) and analysis;
Monitoring of project general indicators and epidemiological analysis;
Evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of planned activities, and the needs identified;
Providing data and reports to local authorities on public health.

3. Management of the local team:

Implementing and participating in regular meetings with the medical team;
Preparation of work plans;
Setting up punctual and continuous training, and evaluation of staff;
Monitoring compliance with administrative, financial, logistical and medical procedures.

4. Coordination and partnership:

Participation in various meetings of AMI Yemen team, especially with the Medical Referent Nurse;
Coordination with different partners and actors present in Yemen: MoPHP, local NGOs, international NGOs, UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP);

5. Writing reports:

Activities report and monthly internal medical report;
Regular report to the Head of Mission on the progress of the project, meetings and other important information;
Participation in medical aspects of reports to donors, or any new proposals;
Data base collection.

LIFE CONDITIONS IN YEMEN:

The expatriate will be based in Al Hudaydah with some trips to Sana'a and other cities across the country in case of need (international meeting NGOs, ministries, etc.).

Cultural: The city of Al Hudaydah has all the amenities: telephone, Internet, restaurants, small supermarkets, banks and so on. However, there are no leisurely activities and the presence of other expatriates remains very limited in the area of intervention;
Security: Volatile all over the country, with specific “no go” areas. However, up to now, no case of terrorist attack or kidnapping has been reported in Hodeidah Governorate. It is not possible to move easily within the country and traveling is authorized mainly by air. However, there are few recreational areas (including Seaside) near Hodeidah which you can access by car but keep in mind that expatriates are not allowed to drive on the mission and can only travel with drivers with AMI or rental Car contracted by AMI.
Geography: The governorate of Al Hudaydah covers a large part of the Tihama, a desert strip along the Red Sea. The landscapes are exclusively desert steppe type but mountains are less than 2 hours drive;
Climate: The area of Al Hudaydah is very hot and humid all year, temperatures ranging from 28 ° C in winter to 37 ° C in summer. The rainy season is short (<30 days per year);
Living conditions: collective housing (4 to 5 persons) home / office with electricity and water, Internet.

CONDITIONS OF THE POSTION AND PROFILE REQUIRED:

Status: voluntary (monthly allowance of 686 to 915 € depending on humanitarian experience + 200 € of perdiem per month + costs of life: food, housing, flight tickets, visa, insurance, etc.)
Starting date: ASAP
Duration: 1 year with possible extension

Experience and competences:

Doctor – specialized in tropical medicine or knowledge and / or experience in maternal and child health and malnutrition are a plus
Humanitarian experience preferable, ideally in the management of development projects
Good command of the English language (oral and written), Arabic is an advantage
Information technology skills (Word, Excel)

Skills:

Management
Training
Work and life in a team within an isolated environment
Adaptation, initiative and autonomy in the respect of the hierarchy

CONTACT:

Caroline Paoli – Recruitment Officer
caroline.paoli@amifrance.org

Aide Médicale Internationale
1, rue Pré Saint Gervais
93500 Pantin
www.amifrance.org

Administrative and Financial Coordinator/Afghanistan

administrateur — 2010-07-28T10:45:48Z

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL COORDINATOR
AFGHANISTAN

Aide Médicale Internationale is a French international medical NGO created in 1979. AMI manages medical programs in Afghanistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, and Haiti. It is present in Afghanistan since 1980 (presentation and history are detailed on the website : www.amifrance.org ).

AMI PROGRAMS IN AFGHANISTAN:

1/ Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) Program for the implementation, in rural areas, of the policy defined by the Afghan Ministry of Health. The BPHS is managed by AMI in Kunar province, through the following activities:

Support the activities of health centers, from the smallest health center to the provincial hospital, in consistency with the health policy (1 hospital, 31 health centers and about 235 health posts).
Provide structures with drugs and equipment.
Recruit, manage and supervise the whole staff of health structures, in the province.
Ensure regular trainings for that staff in order to reach standards defined by the Ministry of Health.
Reinforce the network of communitarian health agents and health representatives.
Integrate the 4 new components of the national health policy: handicap, mental health, HIV/AIDS screening, and a system of direct blood transfusion in level-2 structures.
Start providing health services in the provincial prison

2/ Salamati
Program for the edition and the publication of a health magazine “Salamati”, at a national level. Initially intended for a medical audience (10 000 copies), Salamati has widen its audience since 2007 to communitarian health agents, and then to the whole Afghan population (25 000 copies).

3/ Kabul laboratories
Program for the support and the development of 2 university hospital laboratories in Kabul (Maiwand and Ali Abad): supply, supervision, training, widening of the range of analyses. Since 2006, the objective of the program is also to introduce bacteriology in these 2 hospitals.

COMPOSITION OF THE MISSION:

In 2009, the Afghanistan mission is composed of several operational bases located in the following regions:

Kabul region, coordination base of Salamati and Laboratories projects.
Kunar province, 1 base (Asad Abad).
Nangarhar province, 1 rear base (Jalalabad).

The team is composed of:

About ten permanent expatriates (chief of mission, administrative and financial coordinator, logistics coordinator, medical coordinator, Salamati manager of publication, laboratories manager, pharmacy manager, BPHS project manager, epidemiologist),
About forty Afghan employees in charge of the general coordination in Kabul: medical coordinator, laboratory coordinator, HMIS manager, MCH manager, pharmacy manager, communitarian development coordinator, logistics coordinator, administrative coordinator, HR coordinator, etc…
About 40 Afghan employees, are in charge of the coordination and the supervision of BHPHS programs,
About 300 medical and support staffs who provide health services in the 32 provincial structures: doctors, midwives, laboratory assistants, pharmacists, dentists, surgeons, administrative staff, cleaners,
About 500 communitarian agents who, beyond the basic care they can provide in the 240 health posts, are in charge of health promotion and of the 1st-level referencing.

PURPOSES OF THE POSITION:

The Administrative and Financial Coordinator (AFC) is directly responsible to the Chief of Mission. He/she makes joint decisions about priorities and actions to be tackled. The AFC reports to him about his/her activities, the results he/she has achieved and the problems he/she has encountered. He/she submits the procedures, documents and important decisions for approval.
He/she is in charge of managing administrative, financial and HR matters as well as the administrative staff.
He/she will consolidate all the administrative and financial procedures and work for a larger autonomy of the national team, so that they can take over at some point, all the responsibilities of the ACF

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION AND PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Training

Providing training to the Afghan team in order to help them becoming more autonomous with regard to taking responsibility of the administrative and financial department
Identifying aspects to be improved and trainings to be implemented (internally or externally) ; setting up an adapted training plan
Training the department heads and project managers on the administrative and financial aspects that devolve upon their positions

2. Budgetary and financial follow-up

Providing staff supervision, financial consolidation and accounting management of the mission's bases (control of the external and internal accounting allocations, control and management of the cost accounting)
Providing control and management of the funds of the bases and of the mission as a whole (cash flow forecast, request for monthly field to field and field to headquarters cash flow, withdrawal plan, cash control, bank reconciliation…)
Controlling the compliance with the terms of the lease contracts: deadlines, formats, purchasing procedures, audits, transmission of documentary evidence, spending eligibility periods, etc
Working out all financial documents to be transmitted to the lessors in compliance with the specific directives of the latter: budgets, financial reports, descriptive comments on the main budgetary discrepancies, requests for amendments, audit arrangements, etc.
Providing a follow-up of the executed budgetary lines and of the expenses on the various programs
Providing the financial control of the logistics and medical departments especially via audits (compliance with the internal and external procedures regarding acquisitions (quotations, etc.), orders, tenders…). If need be, he/she will adapt the procedures specific to the mission, according to the context and in line with the headquarters, in close collaboration with the department heads and projects managers

3. Administrative follow-up

Providing official representation before the relevant authorities in terms of the administrative management of the mission and bases
Ensuring the compliance with applicable laws in all actions of the program
Defining or upgrading, with the Chief of Mission, the HR management policy of the mission and bases with regard to expatriated and local staff and providing the appropriate management of these (internal regulations, recruitment, contract, service provision, wages and salary scale, insurance…)
Consolidating the administrative reports from the bases and providing the monthly administrative reports to the headquarters (staff and holiday situation, stock and orders management, situation of inventories and fleets of cars…)

4. HR follow-up

Management and follow-up of the stay of the expatriated staff: visa renewal, flight reservations, holidays…
Management and follow-up of the local staff's contracts and amendments
Creating and updating all administrative documents relating to staff management (job descriptions, employment contract, salary scale…)
Collecting information and controlling the compliance with national laws and procedures with regard to employment law
Supervising and training of the staff that your are responsible for

5. Follow-up and development of new programs

Creating, drafting and supervising the new budgets with the coordination team
Participating in the creation and programming of new budgets
Organizing training sessions intended for national administrators with a view to improving their performances and autonomy
Supervising budget ends

6. Reporting

Consolidating the bases' reports and providing the monthly financial reports for the headquarters (accounting reports, cost accounting reports, follow-up of the allocated budgets for all programs, closing financial reports)
The (AFC) drafts a monthly activity report for the attention of the Chief of Mission

LIVING CONDITIONS:

The Administrative and Financial coordinator is based in Kabul, with possible trips to the provinces, according to the security constraints.

Cultural / religion: Muslim
Climatic: continental (hot in summer, cold in winter).
Housing: GH for expat team, individual rooms, garden.

BACKGROUND AND CONDITIONS:

Status: Salaried: 1'525 Euros/ month + living allowance (food, housing, transport, insurances).
Starting : as soon as possible
Duration : 1 year
Graduate education in accounting / management / finance (DECF, DESS in finance, management…)
Good knowledge of financing mechanisms and silent partners (European Commission and especially the ECHO lines, French Cooperation…).
Significant field experience in a similar position or several assignments as an administrator in charge of managing expatriated people.
Fluent English and excellent computer knowledge (Word, Excel ; knowing the SAGA software would be an advantage)
Strong capacity and motivation for team work and coordination
Educational potential

CONTACT:

Thanks to apply by email to:
Patricia Angles d'Auriac, recruitment officer
patricia.anglesdauriac@amifrance.org

Aide Médicale Internationale
1, rue du Pré Saint Gervais
93500 Pantin
www.amifrance.org

NUTRITIONIST / Afghanistan

administrateur — 2010-07-28T10:42:53Z

NUTRITIONIST
AFGHANISTAN

Aide Médicale Internationale is a French international medical NGO created in 1979. AMI manages medical programs in Afghanistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, and Haiti. It has been present in Afghanistan since 1980 (presentation and history are detailed on the website: www.amifrance.org).

AMI'S PROGRAMS IN AFGHANISTAN:

1/ Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS)
Program for the implementation, in rural areas, of the policy defined by the Afghan Ministry of Health. The BPHS is managed by AMI in Kunar province, through the following activities:

Support the activities of health centers, from the smallest health center to the provincial hospital, in consistency with the health policy (1 hospital, 31 health centers and about 235 health posts).
Provide structures with drugs and equipment.
Recruit, manage and supervise the whole staff of health structures, in the province.
Ensure regular trainings for that staff in order to reach standards defined by the Ministry of Health.
Reinforce the network of communitarian health agents and health representatives.
Integrate the 4 new components of the national health policy: handicap, mental health, HIV/AIDS screening, and a system of direct blood transfusion in level-2 structures.
Start providing health services in the provincial prison

2/ Salamati
Program for the edition and publication of a health magazine “Salamati”, at a national level. Initially intended for a medical audience (10,000 copies), Salamati has widen its audience since 2007 to communitarian health agents, and then to the whole Afghan population (25,000 copies).

3/ Kabul laboratories
Program for the support and the development of 2 teaching hospital laboratories in Kabul (Maiwand and Ali Abad): supply, supervision, training, widening of the range of analyses. Since 2006, the objective of the program is also to introduce bacteriology in these 2 hospitals.

COMPOSITION OF THE MISSION:

In 2010, the Afghanistan mission is composed of several operational bases located in the following regions:

Kabul region, coordination base of Salamati and Laboratories projects.
Kunar province, 1 base (Asad Abad).
Nangarhar province, 1 rear base (Jalalabad).

The team is composed of:

About ten permanent expatriates (chief of mission, administrative and financial coordinator, logistics coordinator, medical coordinator, Salamati manager of publication, laboratories manager, pharmacy manager, BPHS project manager, epidemiologist),
About forty Afghan employees in charge of the general coordination in Kabul: medical coordinator, laboratory coordinator, HMIS manager, MCH manager, pharmacy manager, communitarian development coordinator, logistics coordinator, administrative coordinator, HR coordinator, etc…
About 40 Afghan employees, are in charge of the coordination and the supervision of BHPHS programs,
About 300 medical and support staffs who provide health services in the 32 provincial structures: doctors, midwives, laboratory assistants, pharmacists, dentists, surgeons, administrative staff, cleaners,
About 500 communitarian agents who, beyond the basic care they can provide in the 240 health posts, are in charge of health promotion and of the 1st-level referencing.

OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS POSITION:

AMI is now introducing in the Kunar province a CMAM project that is subsidized by the CERF fund and has partners such as the MoPH Nutrition Department, UNICEF and WFP (an April through December 2010 project). This project is part of the BPHS/EPHS and partly uses the staff and material resources of this program. This CMACM project aims at setting up and operating 1 stabilization center, some OTPs and SFPs in most health centers and at getting the community health agents involved in the health stations (already existing and operating community network).

The nutritionist will have to work in close collaboration with the expatriated Medical Coordinator and the national Focal Points. Given the duration of the mission (2 months), the nutritionist will be in charge of assessing and rectifying, if necessary, the actions already started within the framework of this project. He/she will also be in charge of assisting with the establishing of planned but not yet performed activities (including a nutritional survey).

WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

The nutritionist is under the responsibility of the expatriated Medical Coordinator.

He/she works in close collaboration with all the medical teams of Kabul and Kunar as well as with the Kunar project managers at Kabul and Kunar.

ACTIVITIES OF THIS POSITION:

1. Assessing existing activities

Assessing the coherence between already introduced activities and the infant malnutrition management protocol
— Rectifying if necessary the introduced activities in order to improve their technical quality
Assessing the quality of the gathering and analysis of data related to nutritional activities.

2. Establishing planned but not yet performed activities

Participating in the setting up of planned but not yet performed project activities in compliance with the pre-defined protocols
Checking the coherence between all the means used for the follow-up of the activities (admissions cards, patients' follow-up sheets, etc.)

3. Nutritional survey

Validating the methodology previously defined by the team (SMART)
Providing a technical assistance with regard to the organization of the survey
Training the concerned staff in conducting the survey (medical staff and community health agents)
Follow-up of the survey in order to check the quality of gathered data
Participating in the analysis of gathered data (according to schedule)

4. Training activities

Assessing the knowledge of the national staff involved in the program
Training this staff according to their needs

5. Reporting

Regular progress report to the Medical Coordinator regarding the project
Drafting a synthesis report with recommendations for the following steps of the action

LIVING CONDITIONS:

The nutritionist will be based in Kabul with trips to the Kunar province according to security conditions.

Cultural context: Muslim country
Security conditions: given the very unstable security situation, a specific attention is required regarding the compliance with security rules. All voluntaries or employees undertake to strictly comply with theses rules.
Climate: continental (hot in summer, cold in winter)

CONDITIONS OF THIS POSITION AND REQUIRED PROFILE:

Status: expatriated volunteer
Indemnities from 686 € to 915 € according to humanitarian experience + living expenditures (food, housing, transportation, insurances, visa, vaccination…)
Duration: 2 months, starting as soon as possible
Doctor or medical assistant specializing in nutrition
Humanitarian experience is a must for the setting up of the nutritional survey and of the CMAM program
Knowledge of the ENA-SMART nutritional survey software
Good resistance to isolation owing to the security conditions all over the country
Strong capability and motivation for team work with local staff
Flexibility and strong adaptation skills
Fluency in English is mandatory
Good computer skills (Word and Excel)

CONTACT:

Please apply by email to:
Patricia Angles d'Auriac, recruitment officer
patricia.anglesdauriac@amifrance.org

Aide Médicale Internationale
1, rue du Pré Saint Gervais
93500 Pantin
France
www.amifrance.org

COUNTRY DIRECTOR / Myanmar

administrateur — 2010-07-28T09:10:34Z

COUNTRY DIRECTOR / MYANMAR

AMI PROGRAM IN MYANMAR :

For more than 30 years, ethnic minorities groups of Burma have been fighting against the powerful military Junta who runs the country. The military context keeps the population in poor and precarious conditions of life, where their access to essential health care and services is limited. Since 1984, AMI has been providing medical, water and sanitation aid to Burmese ethnic minorities through direct support in some medical facilities, but mainly by training the medical staff in charge of them.

Due to the intensification of fighting and the important loss of the Karen army, the population started to flee massively to Thailand in 1994 and since then, the number of refugees in the refugee camps along Thai-Burmese Border has continued to grow. AMI joined the population during its exodus in 1995, and has operated since then as a medical NGO in the camps. Since 2000, AMI has also been providing financial and technical support to the Thai health system in some neighboring villages of the camps.

In 2001, AMI opened a new mission in Myanmar and implemented a program of Water and Sanitation in the Township of Dala. In 2003, after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Ministry of Health and with the Ministry of Home Affairs, AMI, following the anti-poppy campaign launched by both the government and the Wa Authorities, initiated a program of primary health care supporting the Wa population of the Special Region N°2 in Shan State in order to mitigate the major decrease of income of the ex poppy farmers.

Since 2004, AMI has also been working in the Northern Rakhine State and providing primary health care through mobile clinics and community health workers to the Rohinga population.

From 2004 to 2007 AMI continued to secure funding for all these activities, without opening new projects.

In May 2008 Myanmar suffered the effects of a category IV cyclone which affected more than 2.4 million people. AMI immediately set up emergency operations in the 3 townships of Dala, Seikki and Twantay, where the organization was already present. In January 2009, AMI extended its post-Nargis intervention to the townships of Kawhmu and Kungyangon in Yangon province, where AMI implemented a water and sanitation project that was completed in December 2009.

In April 2010, the Myanmar mission is composed of two areas of intervention as following:

Townships of Dala , Seikkyi Khanuangdho and Twantay (Yangon Division): Water and sanitation for general population and in schools, Health education and reproductive health; Community development; Prevention and treatment HIV/AIDS/STI.
Wa Special Region N°2 (Shan State) : Primary Health Care and Mother and Child Health.

It has to note that, following a decision from the Ministry of Health, AMI was obliged to close its NRS project in April 2010.

In 2010, AMI will continue implementing its projects, with a stronger focus on community health and will look at the possibility of implementing water and sanitation activities over there..

In Yangon division, AMI will pursue its HIV-AIDS activities in Dala, Seikyi Khanuangdho and Twantay. AMI is looking for funding for its water and sanitation activities.

2010 Objectives:
Improve the health status of the most vulnerable populations by:
Improving the access to primary health care services for ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups
Reducing the maternal and child mortality of the most vulnerable women and children
Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing treatment and care

Composition of the team (April 2010):
Expatriates : 1 Country Director, 1 General Administrator, 1 Medical Coordinator (vacant), 1 Logistics Coordinator, 3 Project Managers (1 by geographic area), and 1HIV Prevention Referent.
National: 160 people (medical, logistic and administrative staff)

Financial resources in 2010: about Euros 1.5 millions

1. EuropeAid: support to the health system in the Wa region from 1st of September 2007 to 31st of August 2010

2. EuropeAid: support to community health in Buthidaung, Rakhine State, from 1st of April 2009 to 31st March 2012 (project to be relocated to Wa)

3. UNFPA: Reproductive Health in the Wa region (1st January 2010 to 31st of December 2010)

4. Three diseases Fund : HIV/AIDS project in Yangon Division from 1st of April 2007 to 31st of December 2011

5. UNHCR : Reproductive Health/MCH, Water and Sanitation and community development (1st of January 2010 to 31st of December 2010)

AMI PROJECT IN MYANMAR

The AMI health project in Myanmar aims to improve the access to health services for the population living in remote areas and is focused on 3 sectors:

Primary health care including malaria, health education, prevention and treatment of common pathologies
Mother and Child Health (antenatal and postnatal care, prevention, delivery, family planning and immunization)
HIV/AIDS (health education, behavior change targeting groups which are particularly at risk, STI treatment, VCCT, PMTCT, ART & opportunistic infections)

The AMI activities are mainly focused on two levels of the health system:

Support to existing health structures and running of mobile clinics (rehabilitation, supply of medicines, consumables and equipment, training of medical staff, referral to hospitals, …)
Support to community health network (training, management and supply of Community Health Service Providers: AMW /CHW/TBA)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Country director will:

Be responsible of mission management, programme implementation and programme development
Represent AMI towards humanitarian partners, donors and the Myanmar authorities
Be responsible of the human resources and their security As part of his duties he shall:
Ensure that objectives defined in each project will be reached
Coordinate program activities
Supervise the management of human resources
Ensure the smooth implementation of project, notably thanks to the development of a personal network
Ensure the sustainability of activities already established
Develop a strategy for future development of AMI programme in the country

WORKING RELATIONS:

The Country Director's direct supervisor is the General Delegate of AMI and works directly with the Desk officer in Paris. He shall report on activities, achievements and the problems faced by the Mission. He will need to obtain the desk officer's validation regarding important decisions.
He is the line manager of AMI's expatriate team in Myanmar. He has a direct hierarchical link with the coordinators based in Yangon. He works closely with the officers in charge of various departments at headquarters:
Communication Department
Logistics Department
Department of Human Resources

He is the legal representative of AMI with local and national authorities, donors, UN and NGOs partners.

DUTIES AND TASKS:

1 Related to programme:

1.1 – Operational monitoring and supervision

Ensure compliance with the planned objectives (in terms of planning / operational area / activities …)
Ensure coordination between the different project activities and between the different field sites
Develop work plans and monitoring tools for projects
Oversee relationships with health authorities, in link with the Medical Coordinator/ Country medical Office
Ensure the implementation of a strong monitoring and evaluation system

1.2 – Human resources management

Supervision of local teams (employment contracts / recruitment / human resources policy …)
Management of the expatriate team (definition of responsibilities / organizational chart / team building …)
Responsible of the security of all the staff (compliance with rules and regulations / evacuation procedures …)

1.4 – Development of projects/mission.

Definition of project activities and types of intervention, in collaboration with the senior programme and technical team (medical coordinator / project managers / technical coordinators)
Development of new projects following the initiation of needs assessments
Development of strategies of intervention in collaboration with headquarters
Analysis of donor strategies in the region, and follow-up of funding opportunities

2. In terms of representation.

2.1 – Relations with donors.

Regular contacts (mail / reports / meetings) with donor representatives and organization of field visits
Participation in meetings of international agencies
Prospecting and meeting with potential donors
Lobbying towards international agency (aiming at raising AMI profile…)

2.2 – With administrative and political stakeholders

Representation of AMI with local and national political authorities
Awareness raising with authorities on humanitarian work and independence of NGOs
Supervise relations with administrative and health authorities in coordination with the general administrator and the medical coordinator/ country medical officer

2.3 – Relationship with humanitarian organizations

Represent AMI in inter agency and coordination meetings of NGOs
Communication on AMI activities
Development of strategies of collaboration with NGOs and UN agencies

3. Reporting and activity report.

3.1 – Relations with headquarters

Regular contact with the desk officer
Transmission of information related to the operational, political and humanitarian context
Preparation of monthly activity report
Supervision of the preparation of medical reports, logistics report and budget follow-up for the HQ

3.2 – Relation with donors.

Regular contact (monthly) with representatives of donors
Communicate information concerning the progress of programs, future plans and strategies, the difficulties encountered…
Ensure the preparation of proposals, interim and final reports (financial and operational), in collaboration with project managers / medical coordinator / technical coordinators
Ensures the compliance of procedures according to donor's contract

CONDITIONS AND REQUIRED PROFILE:

Status: employee
Conditions: 2'000 euros+ living expenses (housing, food, visa, insurances, vaccination, flight ticket, break allowances…)

Starting date: november 2010 (visa procedures can take around 4 months)
Duration: minimum 2 years.

5 years in a senior management position in the humanitarian field
Experience of working on medical / public health project. Knowledge of primary health care, MCH and HIV highly appreciated
Strong knowledge of donors policies and requirement, as well as of project cycle management tools
Strong leadership and organisational skills
Excellent writing skills
Excellent inter-personal and team building skills
Good trainings skills
Flexible, patient, with strong negotiation skills
Good IT skills
Fluency in English compulsory
Knowledge of South East Asia highly appreciated

HOW TO APPLY

Please send a CV and cover letter (and specify the position you are applying to in the subject of your email) to:

Caroline Paoli
Recruitment Officer
caroline.paoli@amifrance.org
Aide Médicale Internationale
www.amifrance.org

BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor / Afghanistan

administrateur — 2010-07-27T15:20:24Z

BPHS/EPHS MEDICAL ADVISOR
AFGHANISTAN

Aide Médicale Internationale is a French international medical NGO created in 1979. AMI manages medical programs in Afghanistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, and Haiti. It has been present in Afghanistan since 1980 (presentation and history are detailed on the website: www.amifrance.org).

AMI PROGRAMS IN AFGHANISTAN:

1/ Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS)
Implementation, in rural areas, of the policy defined by the Afghan Ministry of Health. The BPHS is managed by AMI in Kunar province, through the following activities:

Support the activities of health centers, from the smallest health center to the provincial hospital, in consistency with the health policy (1 hospital, 31 health centers and about 235 health posts).
Provide structures with drugs and equipment.
Recruit, manage and supervise the whole staff of health structures, in the province.
Ensure regular trainings for that staff in order to reach standards defined by the Ministry of Health.
Reinforce the network of communitarian health agents and health representatives.
Integrate the 4 new components of the national health policy: handicap, mental health, HIV/AIDS screening, and a system of direct blood transfusion in level-2 structures.
Start providing health services in the provincial prison

2/ Salamati
Edition and publication of a health magazine, “Salamati”, at national level. Initially intended for a medical audience (10,000 copies), Salamati has widened its audience since 2007 to community health agents, and then to the whole Afghan population (25,000 copies).

3/ Kabul laboratories
Support and development of 2 teaching hospital laboratories in Kabul (Maiwand and Ali Abad): supply, supervision, training, widening of the range of analyses. Since 2006, the objective of the program is also to introduce bacteriology in these 2 hospitals.

COMPOSITION OF THE MISSION:

In 2010, the Afghanistan mission is composed of several operational bases located in the following regions:

Kabul region, coordination base of Salamati and laboratory projects.
Kunar province, 1 base (Asad Abad).
Nangarhar province, 1 rear base (Jalalabad).

The team is composed of:

About ten permanent expatriates (Head of Mission, Administrative and Finance Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator, Medical Coordinator, Salamati Head of Publication, Head of Laboratory Project, Pharmacy Manager, Head of BPHS Project, Epidemiologist),
About forty Afghan employees in charge of the general coordination in Kabul: Medical Coordinator, Laboratory Coordinator, HMIS Manager, MCH Manager, Pharmacy Manager, Community Development Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator, HR Coordinator, etc…
About 40 Afghan employees, are in charge of the coordination and the supervision of BHPHS programs,
About 300 medical and support staffs who provide health services in the 32 provincial structures: doctors, midwives, laboratory assistants, pharmacists, dentists, surgeons, administrative staff, cleaners,
About 500 community agents who, beyond the basic care they can provide in the 240 health posts, are in charge of health promotion and of the 1st-level referencing.

OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS POSITION:

The BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor is responsible of the consistency of the medical activities of the present BPHS/EPHS Kunar project and of the possible future BPHS/EPHS projects according to the medical objectives defined by the Ministry of Health.
This position includes the following elements: Assessing, monitoring and analyzing the epidemiological situation / Assessing, monitoring and analyzing medical activities / medical recommendations / Working out training tools and training local staff / Participating in the quality control of medical treatments / Handling relationships with the Ministry of Health and medical partners / Drafting reports / Participating in the development of new proposals.

WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

The BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor is under the direct responsibility of the expatriate Medical Coordinator.

The BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor works in close collaboration with the expatriate Kabul-based Medical Coordinator and with all medical teams based in Kabul and Kunar

The BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor works in collaboration with the logistics and administrative services of the mission.

ACTIVITIES OF THIS POSITION:

Managing the setting-up and monitoring of the activities

Managing the adequacy between the developed activities and the project (logical frameworks, proposals, MoU, etc.)
Managing the proper implementation of action plans developed with regard to the new activities (VIH/SIDA, nutrition, etc.)

Managing the quality of medical treatments provided in health facilities via monitoring and assessment tools

Managing quality in terms of how patients are treated and followed
Managing the concordance and compliance with pre-defined protocols
Checking that drugs are rationally prescribed

Managing the analysis of data and assessing indicators

Checking that the epidemiological database is properly updated
Measuring and assessing on a monthly basis the indicators of the logical framework regarding his/her own activities and proposing new directions and/or adjustments

Continuing and improving the program's monitoring: Health Facility Quaternary Evaluation, Provincial Hospital Quaternary Evaluation (HFQE/PHQE)

Managing the HFQE/PHQE cycle
Analyzing results
Proposing adjustments and/or directions
Managing the follow-up of the monitoring and assessment plans

Participating in the training of local staff

Participating in the knowledge assessment of the local staff involved in the program
Participating in the development of training tools
Training staff if necessary

Suggesting medical orientations or evolutions regarding the strategy for BPHS/EPHS programs

Participating in the yearly programming of the mission
Developing the necessary elements for the setting up of new programs in view of the observed sanitary needs: determining goals, strategy, activities to be started, etc.

Representing AMI if necessary, in connection with the Medical Coordinator

Participating in the meetings with the Ministry of Health, BPHS/EPHS NGOs, United Nations agencies, etc.

Reporting on his/her own activities and participation in the AMI meetings

Developing a monthly report on activities
Participating in the drafting of backers' reports, MoPH reports, etc.
Actively participating in AMI coordination meetings (weekly team meetings, bi-monthly medical meetings, etc.)

LIVING CONDITIONS:

The Medical Referent will be based in Kabul with trips to the Kunar province depending on security conditions.

Cultural context: Muslim country
Security conditions: given the very unstable security situation, all employees are required to comply to security rules defined by AMI.
Climate: continental (hot in summer, cold in winter)

CONDITIONS OF THIS POSITION AND REQUIRED PROFILE:

Status : Volunteer position (from 686 to 915€ / month depending on humanitarian experience + 200€ perdiem / month + accommodation+ meals+ return ticket to country of residence every 6 months, + medical insurance)
Starting date : ASAP
Duration: One year minimum
Base: Kabul

Experience and skills required:

Doctor, with a specialization in public health
Humanitarian experience, ideally in the management of long-term projects
English compulsory
Computer skills: Word, Excel

Knowledge and capacities

Good knowledge in the management of a multicultural team, with capacity-building attitude
Very good ability to treat information and to be organized (deadlines to respect)
Good analytic and conceptual capacities
Anticipation, adaptation, autonomy in the respect of the hierarchy
Tact and diplomacy
Commitment and high interest in the project

TO APPLY:

Please send a CV and cover letter by email to:
Caroline PAOLI, Recruitment Officer
caroline.paoli@amifrance.org / www.amifrance.org

In Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, a surgical team of AMI operates injured

administrateur — 2010-01-21T09:32:14Z

The emergency medical team, who joined the AMI mission present in Port-au-Prince, participates actively in providing care to victims of the earthquake.


The AMI medical team operating a young child's head injuries

The emergency medical team consisting of a surgeon and an anaesthesiologist, who joined Haiti on January15th and 16th, is currently working with the medical mission already present on site at the Lambert Petionville clinic.

For nearly a week, they are work hard alongside Haitian medical personal and other humanitarian organizations to operate on patients out of the rubble and victims of severe trauma.


On the outskirts of the clinic

At the same time, other team members are working on the coordination of humanitarian aid, providing logistical support to ongoing activities and to prepare future actions.

Today, a nurse and a logistics coordinator leave for Port-au-Prince to strengthen the team.

Aide Médicale Internationale has been present in Haiti since 1984, training medical personnel and supporting health structures on Turtle Island and supporting the creation of 50 health posts in partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population under the Government Action Plan in the town of Saint-Michel de l'Attalaye from 2000 to 2002. Since late 2003 and early 2004, A.M.I. has implemented a program of medical and psychosocial support to 1,500 children and youth from the streets of Port-au-Prince and beginning in early 2010, A.M.I. has implemented a program of free obstetric care.

Haiti: A.M.I. boosts its aid to earthquake victims

administrateur — 2010-01-18T08:33:02Z

The earthquake that hit Haiti Tuesday, January 12 severely affected Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Public buildings and homes were destroyed, many collapsing on their occupants. Casualties are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

Already present in Port-au-Prince since 2004 for a program for street children, an AMI team, composed of four expatriates and sixty-six Haitians, mobilized immediately. While their colleagues in Haiti were helping their families, friends and neighbors, the expatriate team including a doctor, began to rescue victims.

36 hours after the disaster, Jacques Bérès, surgeon and former president of AMI, left Paris and arrived to Port-au-Prince today at noon (local time). A few hours later, a logistics manager and an emergency anesthesiologist will depart to strengthen our team.

The situation is especially difficult on the field as health facilities are destroyed and access to water is non-existent. Therefore, the objective is to provide emergency care to the most serious injuries and survivors extracted from the rubble.

While the AMI Head of Mission in Haiti has participated in the first meetings to coordinate the emergency humanitarian actions, 30 cubic meters of emergency medical supplies have been dispatched to Port-au-Prince. These supplies will allow AMI to establish, in the course of next week, a mobile clinic designed to crisscross accessible areas of the Martissant neighborhood, home to 100,000 people. This should allow the basic health needs of its residents to be met during the weeks ahead.

A coordinator for the emergency program and a nurse were recruited this week. Other departures (nurse, doctor, administrator and logistician) are scheduled. This will be reinforced by logistics experts from the NGO Premiere Urgence, which will ensure the distribution of shelter (tarpaulins, blankets), hygiene kits and food, as a complement to emergency medical care.

Aide Médicale Internationale has been present in Haiti since 1984, training medical personnel and supporting health structures on Turtle Island and supporting the creation of 50 health posts in partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population under the Government Action Plan in the town of Saint-Michel de l'Attalaye from 2000 to 2002. Since late 2003 and early 2004, A.M.I. has implemented a program of medical and psychosocial support to 1,500 children and youth from the streets of Port-au-Prince and beginning in early 2010, A.M.I. has implemented a program of free obstetric care.

YEMEN - Governorate of Hodeidah, Al Marawa and Al Hali districts

administrateur — 2009-08-04T15:28:21Z

KEY PROGRAM DETAILS

FIELD LOCATION
Governorate of Hodeidah, Al Hali and Al Marawa districts.

TARGET POPULATION
Population: 142,500 men, women and children
56,000 in Al Hali
86,500 in Al Marawa

A.M.I. TEAM
3 expatriates: 1 head of operations, 2 medical advisers, 1 temporary administrator/logistician
13 local staff members: 2 physicians, 1 midwife, 1 pharmacist, 1 laboratory head, 1 translator, 1 administrator, 1 logistician, 1 assistant logistician, service personnel

FUNDING
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Center, EuropeAid (European Commission).

THE SITUATION IN YEMEN

Although part of the Arabian Peninsula, a region considered relatively rich, Yemen is among the 30 least developed countries of the world. Over 40% of the population lives under the poverty line.
Despite efforts made during the last decade, the Yemeni population has only very limited access to basic services such as education and drinking water (over a third of the people are deprived of water supply). Added to this is a high level of tension in the north of the country, between the Houthi people and the government, as well as in the south where secessionist forces are opposed to the central government.
The situation has a strong impact on health care, as is evidenced by certain indicators. In cities as well as rural areas, where the health care system suffers cruelly from a lack of financial and human resources, primary health care is severely limited (only 45% of the Yemeni people have access). Contagious diseases and malnutrition constitute the main causes of morbidity and mortality, and rural areas comprising 74% of the population are the most affected. Women and children are the most vulnerable – maternal mortality accounts for 42% of all deaths in women of childbearing age, and the rate of mortality in children under five is 105 for every 1,000 births. The population in general suffers from chronic nutritional insufficiency, and 46% of children under five suffer from malnutrition.

A.M.I. OPERATIONS - BACKGROUND

In 2006, during an exploratory mission, the Governorate of Hodeida retained the attention of A.M.I. teams. Hodeidah is located in the Tihama, a desert zone along the Red Sea, one of the poorest and most populated areas in the country.
After conclusion of agreements with the government and authorities concerned, A.M.I. launched a base of operations in February 2007, and activities began, funded by the Humanitarian Aid Delegation of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DAH), in the districts of Al Marawa, a rural area, and Al Hali, an urban area. Support for eight government health care structures reinforced their organizational, technical and material capabilities.
New sources of funding have guaranteed the continuation of the program from 2008 through 2011. Thus, the 2008 program was expanded and reinforced, and adapted to the specifics of the two areas.

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2008

A.M.I.'s program aims to improve the quality of treatment and preventive care, and to adapt their cost to the low finances of the 142,000 inhabitants of the two areas. Accordingly, A.M.I. is consolidating the organizational, technical and material capabilities of six health care structures in the 1st echelon of the Al Marawa district (two of these during the year), and ten structures in the Al Hali district (also during the year).
> support to these structures focuses on:
training of local medical personnel and support in their daily tasks
follow-up and evaluation of the trained personnel, in cooperation with the Health Ministry
supply of materials and medical disposables; diverse furniture and equipment
supply of essential medicines; optimizing inventory management.
> within the scope of this support, special attention is given to the following:
prenatal and postnatal care, detection of high-risk pregnancies and reduction of risks incurred during pregnancy and delivery
care and treatment of the child, including diagnosis and treatment of common local diseases
health education for pregnant women and mothers
diagnosis and treatment of malaria
collection, analysis and follow-up of epidemiological data.
A.M.I. is working in close collaboration with the Health Ministry with a view to continuing its projects and ensure durable, reproducible results in neighboring districts.

» Reducing food-linked risks in Al Marawa
A three-year program to reduce food-linked risks in the district of Al Marawa is being conducted by A.M.I. and Triangle (Triangle Génération Humanitaire). The program is based on a comprehensive plan of action including improvement in managing natural resources, diversification of crops, and awareness of better practices in nutrition, hygiene, health, etc. Also included is optimization of access to primary health care with prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

Perspectives for 2009
The mission in Yemen begun in 2007 went through a phase of consolidation and expansion in 2008, to be continued in 2009, and is characterized by the following:
> for the Al Hali district:
consolidation of pre-existing activities
substantial expansion of health education through a strategic approach (the community program begun in Al Marawa benefited on a technical level from activities conducted in Al Hali
> for the Al Marawa district:
support for the nine health care structures of the district
establishment of an A.M.I. mobile clinic for areas in the district not covered by government health care structures
implementation of a community-based nutrition program (CTC program)
implementation of a community program to reinforce health care education
> beyond these two districts:
evaluations in other districts of the Hodeidah Governorate and possibly in other governorates.

Burma/Myanmar - Yangon suburbs, Shan State , Rakhine State

administrateur — 2009-08-04T15:11:05Z

KEY PROGRAM DETAILS

»FIELD LOCATION
Yangon suburbs: Dala, Seikki Khanaungdho and Twantay
Autonomous Wa region (Shan State)
Buthidaung region (Rakhine State)

»TARGET POPULATION `
Yangon suburbs: 265,000
Wa region: 140,000
Rakhine (Northern Rakhine State): 251,000

»A.M.I. TEAM
16 expatriates: 1 head of operations, 1 administrative coordinator, 1 medical coordinator, 1 logistics coordinator, 1 water and sanitation adviser, 3 project managers, 2 medical advisers, 1 HIV prevention adviser, 1 head of health education activities, 1 epidemiologist
In the Cyclone Nargis program: 1 emergency program manager, 1 logistician for restoration, 1 administrator
310 local staff members (medical personnel, personnel specialized in logistics and administration)

»FUNDING ECHO, EuropeAid, Three Diseases Fund, UNHCR, UNFPA.

THE SITUATION IN BURMA/MYANMAR

Myanmar is an ethnic melting pot. Since its independence, the country has been destabilized by conflicts between the majority Bamar population and various minorities, some of which are officially recognized and possess certain rights. Others are ignored by the authorities and live in extremely insecure conditions. During the 1980s and 90s, armed conflicts affected over two million people, resulting in migrations across the Burmese territory and outside its borders. Today, the situation is still one of concern, and access to health care remains limited, especially for minorities and vulnerable people.
In general, the mortality rate of these populations is higher than that of other populations in the country. Women and children are the most common victims of the situation. These fragile populations are also the most affected by HIV/AIDS. Because of poverty, lack of education and difficult access to information and health care structures, HIV is a major risk, and the urgency of the fight against the pandemic of HIV/ AIDS is recognized by the government of Myanmar.
During 2008, an increase in protests triggered by the rise in oil prices led to serious demonstrations followed by arrests. The year 2008 was also marked by a humanitarian crisis after Cyclone Nargis in the south of the country.

»A.M.I. OPERATIONS – BACKGROUND

Ever since its first missions conducted during the 1990s, A.M.I. has focused its operations on the most fragile populations of the country. Accordingly, a new mission was launched in 2001 in the suburbs of Yangon, extending to other territories and especially vulnerable populations: Shan State in 2003 and Rakhine State in 2004.
The various minority populations – the Karens, mountain ethnics in Shan State; Lahu; Akha; Wa; Rohingyas in Rakhine State – and the displaced or “transferred” peoples (suburban Yangon, particularly in Dala), are beneficiaries of A.M.I. programs. Added to these are the inhabitants in the Irawaddy Delta struck by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2008

A.M.I.'s mission in Burma/Myanmar includes nine bases of operations in three areas: the suburbs of Yangon, Shan State and Rakhine State.

» The suburbs of Yangon
In the suburbs of Yangon, and particularly in the townships of Dala, Seikki Khanaungdho and Twantay, comprising 300,000 inhabitants, mostly displaced persons, A.M.I. operations focus on:
> access to water and sanitation for inhabitants and schools: construction of wells and reservoirs, sanitation works, support for management and maintenance committees, distribution of cleanliness kits
> health and hygiene education
> prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. The specialized teams in the three A.M.I. health care centers train counselors, distribute condoms and provide testing and treatment.
> preventive care designed for women for children under five and for reproductive health, provided in specialized mother/child structures
> emergency rescue operations for victims of Cyclone Nargis
During the night between May 2 and 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy Delta and the Yangon Division in the southern part of Burma/Myanmar. A large number of homes and health care structures were destroyed. A.M.I. teams were able to intervene rapidly with emergency action, supplying shelters, food, cleanliness kits, epidemiologic preventive care, sanitation, etc. Post-emergency operations followed, many of which continue today.

» Wa Region (Shan State)
Li the Wa region, A.M.I. teams focus on the following activities:
> primary health care (support for the few health care structures in the area, supply of medicine, mobile clinics)
> hospital referrals
> mother/child health care (including post-partum and newborn follow-up as well as vaccinations)
> epidemiological monitoring essentially involving prevention and treatment of malaria
> consolidation of capabilities of the community health care network
> health education sessions involving hygiene and certain pathologies such as malaria and tuberculosis.

» Rakhine State (northwest of the country, NRS – Northern Rakhine State)
In the urban vicinity of Buthidaung and the district of Myeik, A.M.I. is conducting the following operations:
> consolidating the community health care network within the scope of primary health care
> primary health care with support to the few health care structures in the area, mobile clinics, referrals, and special attention to mother/ child health, prenatal and post-partum care, prevention of HIV and malnutrition
> family health care education sessions (general, reproductive, family planning)
> prevention of malaria and epidemiological monitoring.

Perspectives for 2009
Plans for 2009 include:
> opening a new area of operations
> evaluating, expanding and optimizing the community health care system
> increasing the scope of the agreement for operations in Thanintharyi.
More specifically, in the suburbs of Yangon, plans include:
> the expansion of water and sanitation in the suburbs of Kawhmu and Kungyangon
> the continuation of support to victims of Cyclone Nargis
> increased activities in the prevention of HIV. In the Wa region, the Mong Pawk health care structures are scheduled to be transferred to local health authorities in 2009.

Aide Médicale Internationale

The Annual Report 2009 of Aide Médicale Internationale available online

Medical Referent DOCTOR / Yemen

Administrative and Financial Coordinator/Afghanistan

NUTRITIONIST / Afghanistan

NUTRITIONIST AFGHANISTAN

COUNTRY DIRECTOR / Myanmar

BPHS/EPHS Medical Advisor / Afghanistan

In Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, a surgical team of AMI operates injured

Haiti: A.M.I. boosts its aid to earthquake victims

YEMEN - Governorate of Hodeidah, Al Marawa and Al Hali districts

Burma/Myanmar - Yangon suburbs, Shan State , Rakhine State

NUTRITIONIST
AFGHANISTAN