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Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
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About the Authors

Dennis Dijkzeul is professor in the management of humanitarian crises at the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. From 2000 to 2002 he directed the Program for Humanitarian Affairs at Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs. He regularly consults for international organizations in Africa, Central America, Europe, and the United States. His main interests concern the management of international organizations and the (non)participation of local populations in development and humanitarian programs. He is the author of Between Force and Mercy: Military Action and Humanitarian Aid (Berliner Wissenschaftsverlag, 2004) and, together with Yves Beigbeder, Rethinking International Organizations: Pathology and Promise (Berghahn Books, 2003).


Caroline Lynch is an epidemiologist focusing mainly on malaria. She is currently a doctoral student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, working on the epidemiology of malaria in highland areas. She has worked for the past five years in various complex emergency situations, the most recent of which were in Somalia, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She also consults for international organizations, mainly in emergency or refugee situations in Africa.

Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
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Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
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The Committee on Population was established by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1983 to bring the knowledge and methods of the population sciences to bear on major issues of science and public policy. The committee’s work includes both basic studies of fertility, health and mortality, and migration and applied studies aimed at improving programs for the public health and welfare in the United States and in developing countries. The committee also fosters communication among researchers in different disciplines and countries and policy makers in government and international agencies.


The Roundtable on the Demography of Forced Migration was established by the Committee on Population of the National Academy of Sciences in 1999. The Roundtable’s purpose is to serve as an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan focal point for taking stock of what is known about demographic patterns in refugee situations, applying this knowledge base to assist both policy makers and relief workers, and stimulating new directions for innovation and scientific inquiry in this growing field of study. The Roundtable meets yearly and has also organized a series of workshops (held concurrently with Roundtable meetings) on some of the specific aspects of the demography of refugee and refugee-like situations, including mortality patterns, demographic assessment techniques, and research ethics in complex humanitarian emergencies. The Roundtable is composed of experts from academia, government, philanthropy, and international organizations.

Other Publications of the Roundtable on the Demography of Forced Migration

Child Health in Complex Emergencies (2006)

Fertility of Malian Tamasheq Repatriated Refugees: The Impact of Forced Migration (2004)

War, Humanitarian Crises, Population Displacement, and Fertility: A Review of Evidence (2004)

Psychosocial Concepts in Humanitarian Work with Children: A Review of the Concepts and Related Literature (2003)

Initial Steps in Rebuilding the Health Sector in East Timor (2003)

Malaria Control During Mass Population Movements and Natural Disasters (2003)

Research Ethics in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies: Summary of a Workshop (2002)

Demographic Assessment Techniques in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies: Summary of a Workshop (2002)

Forced Migration and Mortality (2001)

Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
×
Page 89
Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
×
Page 90
Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
×
Page 91
Suggested Citation:"About the Authors." National Research Council. 2006. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11513.
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Page 92
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Providing medical support to the local population during a chronic crisis is difficult. The crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is characterized by high excess mortality, ongoing armed violence, mass forced displacement, interference by neighboring countries, resource exploitation, asset stripping, and the virtual absence of the state, has led to great poverty and a dearth of funds for the support of the health system.

International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have stepped in to address the dire humanitarian situation. This study looks at four organizations that support local health care in the eastern DRC: the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Malteser, Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin), and the Association Régionale d'Approvisionnement en Médicaments Essentiels (ASRAMES). The study makes a comparison of the management and financing approaches of these four organizations by collecting and comparing qualitative and quantitative data on their interaction with the (remaining) local health providers and the local population.

Specific objectives of the study are:

1. To identify which management and financing approaches, including the setting of fees, are used by the four NGOs supporting healthcare in the eastern DRC.

2. To determine how these financing approaches affect utilization rates in the health zones supported by the four NGOs.

3. To assess how these utilization rates compare with donor and humanitarian standards.

4. To determine at what level fees must be set to allow for cost recovery or cost sharing in health facilities.

5. To identify the managerial problems confronting the four NGOs.

Many epidemiological and public health studies focus on the interaction between health providers and target groups. Supporting Local Health Care in a Chronic Crisis: Management and Financing Approaches in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo concentrates more on how the relationship between the supporting NGOs and the local health system actually develops. In addition, a common aspect of many of the epidemiological and public health studies is the search for an optimal, or at least appropriate, management and financing approach.

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