PADS - Support Project for the Health Districts in Chad - Phase III
Project Abstract
Chad has seen maternal mortality fall too slowly in recent decades (from 1,099 per 100,000 live births (LB) in 2004 to 860 per 100,000 LB in 2014), a reduction of just 2% per year. Long-term investment is needed to achieve the target of 500 deaths per 100,000 LB by 2030 (national health policy). The low level of health indicators in Chad can largely be explained by the weakness of governance in the health system.
With the support of its main partners, including Switzerland, the government has undertaken reforms to strengthen its healthcare system. For example, in order to mobilise more domestic resources and promote access to services, Switzerland has supported the National Strategy for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the recognition of mutual health organisations as a means of sustainable financing that promotes the participation of their members in decisions concerning health service.
It is in this context that the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has entrusted the SwissTPH-CSSI Consortium with the implementation of the "Support Programme for Health Districts in Chad" (PADS) in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Prevention (MSPP). The PADS is designed to run for 12 years under a bilateral agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Chad. Its interventions aim to strengthen the six components of the health system according to the WHO (Leadership and Governance; Financing; Health Workers; Service Delivery; Medicines and Technology; Health Information System) with a strategy based on support at the decentralised level (provinces of Batha and Moyen Chari) and operational research activities enabling experiences to be fed back to the central level, thereby capitalising on achievements with a view to scaling up where appropriate.
After a successful first phase at district level (01.11.2014-31.10.2018), phase 2 (01.11.2018 - 31.03.2023) enabled activities to be extended and achievements to be consolidated at provincial level. The objectives for phase 3 (01.04.2023 - 31.03.2027) are defined as follows.
Main objective: Contribute to better governance of the healthcare system towards universal health coverage.
Expected Outcome 1: The management of the provinces, districts and health facilities of Batha and Moyen Chari is improved.
Expected Outcome 2: The availability and quality of health services are improved in the programme intervention zones.
Expected Outcome 3: The use of health services is improved on an equitable basis, particularly for women and children in areas that are difficult to access (nomads, islanders, etc.).
PADS provide a consistent source of information with study reports, articles, presentations, maps and more on its web site here: www.pads-tchad.org
A recent article was published on the mixt campaign available here: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/onehealthcases.2024.0026
NB: the mixt campaign guide summarising more than 20 years of practice in Chad is avaoilable on PADS website
