Making a systematic diaspora contribution to Sudan: Experience from the Sudan Health Consultancy group

Abstract

Secondly, our partnership working and how we have systematically partnered with influential organisations.• And practically, by planning and tracking our work programme, and ensuring we make the time to deliver voluntary contributions to deadline.This paper therefore sets out how we are organised, and highlights our work programme. We hope this will stimulate other groups to set themselves up formally as we have, and also encourage further members to join the Sudanese Public Health Network. ContextSudan is squeezed by the triad of poverty, war and politics. As a symptom of this, we see broad inequalities; material deprivation, poor infrastructure and poor health. From having high GDP in the 1960s and 70s, we became one of the worldÊs poorest countries. Encouragingly, recent estimates put us as one of the fastest growing economies (UNDP 2008). This has attracted some of the diaspora to return, and while others remain outside Sudan, efforts to support their contribution will transfer not only experience, education, and skills, but also their international connections and "social capital.‰ 2 Introducing the group Group Profi leThe Sudanese Public Health Network in the UK was established in 2003. Initially an e-group and with a growing membership, the founding members recently constituted into a formal group called the Sudan Health Consultancy. We have been active since 2006 as the Sudan Health Consultancy, and are in process of registering for charitable status. We are the core group who oversee the Sudanese PH Network in the UK. A voluntary group, we endeavour to assist colleagues and organisations in the Sudan to share knowledge, skills and ideas between UK and Sudan. Our Mission and AimsOur mission is to encourage and foster peer support, development and sharing of public health knowledge and skills within and between professionals in Sudan, the UK and internationally. The groupÊs vision is to contribute to building in Sudan a nation of healthy individuals, families and communities, served by a health system that is equitable, accessible, affordable, efficient and consumer-friendly in which the society participates actively.Our main aim is to improve public health practice in Sudan, through the development of advanced public health skills and learning from international experience. We believe that a sound public health approach is the shortest, best, most cost-effective evidence-based way to a rapid improvement of health in Sudan. CredibilityWe currently have ten members working in public health in the UK. Collectively, we have experience of working in the NHS and universities in England, Scotland and Ireland, and previously in the Sudan. Making a systematic diaspora contribution to Sudan • 15We are a group of committed and highly specialist consultants in public health. Our accreditation and experience comes from public health training completed in the Sudan and in the UK, together with membership of the UK Faculty of Public Health, and working at senior levels in the UK. We have listed our membersÊ roles and qu...