The Second Phase of
the WHO Supported
NIPSOM-Mahidol
University
Collaborative
Project Completed
The
closing session of a
week-long workshop
for developing
curricula for joint
NIPSOM-Mahidol
public health
courses took place
in Dhaka on 23rd
October 2008. During
this event, Prof.
Zafor Ullah
Chowdhury, Director
of the National
Institute of
National Institute
of Preventive and
Social Medicine (NIPSOM),
a WHO Collaborating
Centre, opined that
“building on the
success in the first
phase of our
collaboration
focusing on NIPSOM’s
capacity building,
today we have
completed
successfully the
second phase of our
collaboration
focusing on joint
actions for public
health workforce
development”. In his
speech, he expressed
his thanks to WHO
Bangladesh for
support to the
collaborative
project and for
WHO’s assistance
towards organising
the visit of the
resource persons
from the Faculty of
Public Health,
Mahidol University
(FP-MU).
During the period
19-23 October 2008,
Prof. Somchart
Torugsa and Ms
Suwisa Mahasandana
from Mahidol
University had
worked with the
concerned faculty
members of NIPSOM in
developing a
curriculum for a
joint course on
leadership and
management and
another on the use
of geographical
information system
(GIS) in mapping out
health problems.
The collaborative
work has been
facilitated by Dr.
Khaled Hassan,
Medical Officer,
HRH, WHO
Bangladesh.
The curriculum
development for
joint public health
courses has been
central in the
second phase of the
WHO-supported NIPSOM-Faculty
of Public Health,
Mahidol University
collaborative
project. During the
period 21-25
September of
this year, Dr.
Boosaba
Sanguanprasit and
Dr. Kanittha
Chamroonsawasdi from
the Mahidol
University worked
with related
faculty members of
NIPSOM to develop
a curriculum for a
joint course on
hospital-based
health promotion and
another on HIV/AIDS
prevention and
counselling. The
third phase of
collaboration will
be implemented
during 2009,
focusing on
organizing the
above-mentioned
joint courses and
assessing their
impact on improving
the public health
workforce
performance.
The collaborative
project between
NIPSOM and Mahidol
University was
initiated by WHO
Bangladesh in
February 2007. The
overarching goal of
the project is
building and
strengthening the
capacity of NIPSOM
staff
in important areas
of public health
education, research
and service, while
the project’s
specific objectives
were: (1) to conduct
a rapid assessment
to identify key
areas of perceived
need, (2) to
identify the
constraints limiting
transference
of NIPSOM staff’s
knowledge and
experience into
practice, and (3)
to review and
strengthen NIPSOM’s
current MPH
curriculum and
develop a
collaborative
project to address
identified areas of
need.
Dr Phitaya
Charupoonphol, Dean
of the FPH-MU, led a
four-member team of
his Faculty and was
joined by NIPSOM’s
professional staff
members during an
assessment of
performance of
different
departments of
NIPSOM. Based on
the outcome of the
assessment, 14
faculty members from
NIPSOM attended
relevant training
programmes organized
by Mahidol
University in
Bangkok, during the
period 3-16 July,
2007. This was
followed by two
joint workshops in
Dhaka, during 5-8
November 2007, for
updating the MPH
course-curriculum
and developing
NIPSOM’s Strategic
Plan.
The strategic agenda will be
implemented through three consecutive biennial,
results-based work-plans and with strong emphasis on
research and knowledge management. In order to ensure
its effective and timely implementation, WHO will seek
to further enhance its cooperation with government and
strengthen cooperation with key stakeholders. WHO will
be proactive in identifying new opportunities for
synergy and harmonisation of our work with that of
other UN agencies and development partners. Above all,
WHO commits to providing high-quality technical
support to the government to attain the goal of
‘Health for All’ in Bangladesh.