News Bureau

Dr. William Newbrander of Management Sciences for Health (MSH) has developed a systematic approach to assist the governments of states that are in transition after conflicts or health emergencies as these nations plan and carry out actions to make progress in development. The Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises for the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Ala Awan, invited Dr. Newbrander to present this approach in a Global Consultation on Health Recovery in Transition Situations. The meeting took place December 4–6, 2007, in Montreux, Switzerland. WHO chose Dr. Newbrander to represent MSH in part because of his experience in Afghanistan, most recently as Deputy Chief of Party and Technical Director of the Tech-Serve Program. This meeting used discussions with experts from around the world—representatives of national health authorities, the United Nations, national and international nongovernmental organizations, donors, international financial institutions, and academia—to reach a consensus about addressing health needs in emergencies. When relief aid ends, rebuilding health services is vital to the recovery of nations and their people. In addition to meeting basic needs, health care helps re-establish trust in governments and among groups in conflict. Health can be a bridge to peace and a source of stability. Dr. Newbrander drew on his experience and research to write a paper for the Fragile States Group of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This paper, “Rebuilding Health Systems and Providing Health Services in Fragile States,” was sent to all the participants before the meeting so it could be used as a basis for discussion.

Norio Kasahara, an advisor from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, commented: I have just read through your occasional paper on the health systems in fragile states and found it extremely useful. . . . it often happens among donors to talk about “sustainability” without a look at or common understanding of what transition stage we are [at] and will be for years to come. Your paper helps us to agree upon the level (national/central/sub-national, health/poverty status, etc.) and type . . . of sustainability that both the Government of Afghanistan and the international community could seek at each stage of the transition.

Dr. Newbrander, a health economist and policy expert with 25 years of experience, joined MSH in 1992, after having served with WHO for 8 years. His interests include equity in health services, social health insurance, decentralization, and public-private sector collaboration. His publications, as author or coauthor, include Extending Access to Health Care through Public-Private Partnerships (MSH), Modelling in Health Care Finance (International Labour Organisation), and Private Health Sector Growth in Asia (John Wiley & Sons). He earned a master’s degree in Hospit¬al Administration and a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Michigan.