Improving health conditions in conflict-affected Liberia: A community-based approach

Many countries receiving development assistance are in the midst of economic transitions and will become increasingly able to fund their own response. However, transitions to country owned, managed and eventually financed health programs require: political stewardship and commitment; institutional and community ownership; capable workforce, systems and institutions; and mutual accountability[1]. In support of these local efforts, donors (sponsors) are engaging with local organizations and governments to facilitate incremental improvements in governance, institutional capacity and formal/informal aspects of accountability. Given this trend, donor (sponsor) agencies are also rethinking their own internal organizational structures to allow for greater cross-sector collaboration. At the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the traditional independent sectors of health and democracy are collaborating to better understand how core competencies from each sector can, if combined, yield more sustainable development outcomes. This capstone builds on efforts taking place within USAID by bringing together students from the George Bush School of Government and Public Service and the School of Rural Public Health for a unique learning opportunity. Bringing students with different skill sets in health, such as epidemiologist or environmental science specialists, with others working on international relations, governance and foreign policy in one capstone course will create a dynamic group that can help collect evidence with mixed methods and perspectives