GHLI Prepares for Upcoming Annual Conference: South Africa and Rwanda

Jeannie Mantopoulos, assistant director at GHLI, recently returned from a visit to South Africa and Rwanda where she worked in each country for a week in anticipation of GHLI’s upcoming third annual conference to take place June 6-10, 2011. South Africa and Rwanda will participate in this year’s conference, along with Ethiopia, Ghana and Liberia. 

Jeannie explained GHLI invites countries to the conference by identifying significant health systems accomplishments despite limited resources. Jeannie explained how the conference gives countries the opportunity to focus on issues they feel are a priority with expertise from Yale and abroad.

Jeannie had previously traveled to Rwanda to work with its Ministry of Health on a maternal and child health project. However, the Rwandan delegation has identified human resource management as its focus for the conference. She described the delegation this year as, “Prepared and excited for the opportunity to get together in June.”

South Africa’s delegation from the National Department of Health will focus on quality measurement to track quality and safety related problems in maternal and child health.

During her travels to South Africa, Jeannie had the opportunity to visit an HIV clinic supported by the Foundation of Professional Development, which is a partner of GHLI. 

Jeannie explained how fantastic it was to see their electronic medical system because it ensured efficient operations. She also noted how effectively the clinic set up routine transportation for the local population and those in the surrounding rural areas to get HIV treatment. 

Jeannie expects that after GHLI’s conference this year, both the South African and Rwandan delegations, along with other participating delegations, will execute the plans developed at Yale when back in their country. To read more about the upcoming conference, visit our website at yale.edu/ghli

Amanda Sorrentino, GHLI Intern