KI awarded funding from Sida for capacity building project in Africa
Karolinska Institutet (KI) has been awarded a grant from Sida for a two and a half year capacity development project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Somalia. The project aims to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
Capacity development in fragile states
The project, ”Building capacity for sustainable development in fragile states” aims to develop the capacity of fragile states to create and implement cost effective and innovative solutions to help reach the sustainable development goals. The project is a cooperation between Karolinska Institutet, Makerere University in Uganda, Benadir University in Somalia and University of Kinshasa School of Public Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The project is coordinated by the Department of Global Public Health at KI and is also part of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health.
"This is a challenging but important project that involves fragile countries in which not many dare to invest. In close cooperation with our colleagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Somalia we will create a platform for exchanging experiences and developing capacity in different sectors. I believe that in the long run this can be a foundation for true and lasting change", says Nina Viberg, researcher and project coordinator at the Department of Global Health and the Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Health.
Multi-sectoral approach need to reach the global goals of the Agenda 2030
The focus of the project is on several parts of society, but the entry point is the health sector. The target groups are decision-makers and officials at different levels of the public sector, civil society, academia and private sector.
”In fragile states the health sectors are often the last remaining functioning institutions. The health sector is therefore a natural entry point for the project. At the same time, it is important to develop capacity in other areas of society as there are many factors that affect health. In order to meet the goals of Agenda 2030, we need a multi-sectoral approach, explains project leader at KI, Tobias Alfvén, pediatrician and associate professor.
The inception phase will start in spring of 2021, during which the project plan will be developed with the help of online workshops with key stakeholders in each country. The different project activities will consist of trainings, workshops, networking and research exchanges in a multitude of areas. The main purpose is to develop capacity in areas such as evidence-based decision-making, multisectoral work, implementation knowledge and visualization & use of data.
The long-term goals of the project are to strengthen institutional capacity, decrease poverty and increase equality between men and women.
”It is very exciting to have the opportunity to increase knowledge about sustainable health and the sustainable development goals. We are all struggling with the negative effects of COVID-19 on the health sector but also on other sectors. There is a great need for this capacity building project that focuses on health in a larger perspective and in light of the sustainable development goals.”, says project leader at Makerere University, Professor Rhoda Wanyenze.