The British Council and the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) have jointly launched the International Health Links Funding Scheme (IHLFS) with the funding support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department of Health. The scheme will be implemented through a partnership, referred to as Health Link, between health institutions in the developing country and UK. The purpose of the scheme is to “strengthen the capacity of health services in developing countries by providing £1.25 million each year to support the work of Health Links.” Health links will enable strengthening health systems and improving healthcare delivery in both developed as well as developing countries “by allowing for a reciprocal transfer of skills and knowledge between people working in the healthcare sector.” Activities can include training health staff and building the capacity of health systems in developing countries and professionals in UK partner agencies can also benefit by gaining an understanding of global health issues.
There are three different types of grants allocated for different regions:
Small grants (up to £3,000) will be open to health institutions in the UK and the following countries:
Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Medium grants (up to £15,000 per year for 1-2 years) and Large grants (up to £60,000 per year for up to 3 years) will be available to Links between health organisations in the UK and the following countries:
Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.
Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
Health service institutions (recognised within national or district health plans), professional associations and societies, health governing bodies e.g. Ministry and health training institutions in developing countries are eligible to apply for the funding support.
Except for the small grants, the last date to apply for other grants (medium and large) is 30 November 2009. For more information, visit this link.
