Useful Resources

Bridging Waters Film Series
SADC: Botswana 2015

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is home to more than 260 million people, with transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwater bodies: 15 great rivers with their respective river basins in Southern Africa are shared between two or more countries. Water, however, does not recognise international boundaries. The joint management, protection and utilisation of water in Southern Africa is therefore not an option - it is a necessity. Bridging Waters is a docu-drama series illustrating how water in Southern Africa is sustainably managed according to SADC's Protocol on Shared Watercourses. Narrated through the lives of those living along Southern Africa's rivers and depicting their daily challenges, Bridging Waters connects local settings with transboundary management and exemplifies the local impacts of improved cooperation between countries in the region. Shot in 10 countries over a period of two years, the series delves into the waters of the Zambezi, the Limpopo, the Kunene, the Ruvuma and the Orange-Senqu. Rivers are the lifelines of Africa, and the film shows the shared responsibility to keep them flowing: clean and jointly managed for the benefit of all.

E-Huesped: An information platform on transmissible diseases
Fundación Huésped: July 2015

e-huesped aims at communicating news about the progress made in the fields of HIV/aids, viral hepatitis and other transmissible diseases, in a swift and dynamic way using an online platform which allows the continuous collaboration and updating and information exchange with professionals throughout the world. The platform is accessible at any time and from any place. It is implemented on the Edx platform developed by MIT and Harvard with online courses to update professionals in the health team. E-huesped was developed by Fundación Huésped an Argentinean organization with projects that reach throughout Latin America responding to HIV/AIDS as both an infectious disease and a social challenge.

Ebola Fund Watch: Tracking For Ebola Crisis in West Africa
BudgIT; Open Society Initiative for West Africa: June 2015

This resource gathers evidence on the use of funds for the containment of the Ebola outbreak as provided by external funders. It also plans to create a narrative of cumulative experiences of how emergency funds were applied to survivors, victims, healthcare workers, institutions and other beneficiaries. It focuses on curating, tracking and demanding accountability for funds meant for Ebola virus treatment and containment across the sub region.

Evidence for policy and practice
Murphy L: Eldis 2015

Quality assured research synthesis documents from a selected set of publishers who focus is on supporting evidence-informed decision-making on issues relevant to international development. This Guide provides access to a set of quality assured research synthesis documents specifically intended to assist evidence-informed decision-making in development policy and practice. They are selected by the Eldis team from a limited set of "approved" publishers who have been assessed to ensure a robust methodological approach to quality assurance. The Guide also provides a space for discussion on some of the debates on what constitutes "evidence", the use of different methods for quality assessment and the various approaches to impact evaluation

Online Rational Medicines Use Course Module
Bradley H: Schools of Public Health & Pharmacy, 2015

This module is specifically developed to equip healthcare professionals such as pharmacists, doctors and nurses with the necessary skills to improve rational medicines use. It will be of value to members of Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees, Masters of Public Health students and staff working in pharmacy and health departments in South Africa and other African countries. Additional online modules focusing on Pharmaceutical Public Health will be available in 2016. The module covers rational medicines use and problems associated with irrational medicine use; medicines use problems using several quantitative methods; qualitative methods to investigate prescribing behaviour and medicine use; promotion of rational medicine use including educational, managerial, economic and regulatory interventions; medicines Use evaluation and its application to programmes; essential medicines concept and the development of Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines Lists using evidence-based decision making principles; infection control and antimicrobial resistance and pharmacy and therapeutics committees.

A luta continua
Film by Medicusmundi and Kanaki Films on Mozambiques efforts to build its public health system

Since achieving independence in 1975, Mozambique is a country in constant change. In this context, governments, foundations, NGOs and companies declare noble intentions in order to improve the precarious health situation of the population. "A Luta Continua" ("The Struggle Continues") is a film that reviews the achievements, challenges and difficulties in order to build a health system for all in an increasingly unequal country where, sometimes, aid strategies do not always walk in the same direction.

Materials for Facilitators Series on Health Budgets and Monitoring Budget Implementation
International Budget Partnership, USA

These materials are aimed at trainers and facilitators conducting workshops for people interested in using budgets as a tool to enhance advocacy and research. The series’ provide guidance on how to run workshops on budget-related topics as well as relevant materials and tasks for the workshop. IBP uses an adult education approach in participatory workshops and rely on good preparation by the facilitator and strong interaction and reflection by participants.

Online directory about NGOs and other development organisations in South Africa
Prodder: SANGONeT NGO Pulse Portal

Information and knowledge have become critical determinants of development and the driving forces behind economic progress in today's competitive world. Access to credible information is a strategic prerequisite for the success of development projects and processes. It empowers decision-making and enables action across a wide range of development issues. This directory highlights the activities of organisations involved in development work in South Africa.

Perinatal deaths in South Africa, 2011-2013
Statistics South Africa, April 2015

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has published statistics on perinatal deaths based on administrative records captured on death notification forms collected from the South African civil registration system maintained by the Department of Home Affairs.

Health literacy toolkit for low- and middle-income countries
Dodson S; Good S; Osborne R: WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, 10 February 2015

This series of information sheets introduces health literacy, its relevance to public policy, and the ways it can be used to inform the promotion of good health, the prevention and management of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and the reduction of health inequities. It provides information and links to further resources to assist organisations and governments to incorporate health literacy responses into practice, service delivery systems, and policy. It seeks to governments, politicians and policy makers; academic institutions; public, civil society, and non-governmental organisations; and practitioners; relevant private sectors promoting health and well-being; communities, community-based organisations and social networks; WHO and other UN partners and development organisations.

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