Orthopaedists On A Humanitarian Mission: Sustained Help For Developing Countries

Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 05 Jun 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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"Flying into a developing country, operating on people for a few days or weeks and flying out again helps individual persons but has nothing to do with sustainable development work." Professor Martin Salzer, Vice-president of "Austrian Doctors for Disabled" -- the Austrian society for medical development assistance -- is convinced that "it makes even less sense to fly in people from such countries for difficult operations, as humanitarian the motive may be. That money can be invested more effectively." For the group of physicians and medically interested persons around Prof. Salzer it is a question of sustainability in the field of development cooperation, something to which they can contribute their medical experience. "After care for the disability or sickness, our concern is networked interdisciplinary and sustainable rehabilitation. We also hope to thereby make a contribution toward combating poverty" Prof. Salzer says in summing up the main concern of the organization.

The principles of such work and the ongoing projects are being discussed during a special symposium at the EFORT Congress, the largest European orthopaedic congress that is gathering more than 8,000 participants from around the world in Austria's capital city between the 3 and 6 June. "It is the first symposium to thematize medical development cooperation in the area of orthopaedics. We want to interest as many doctors as possible in making their experience available to sick and disabled people in countries where medical care is not at the level it is in a large part of Europe" Professor Salzer explains. Experts from Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland are reporting on their experience in the so-called "Third World" and in war zones and on successful cooperation projects in Ghana, Mali, Yemen, Eretria and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ownership, alignment, harmonisation: basic principles for successful development cooperation

Professor Salzer and his colleagues want to improve the structural conditions for medical care, not only the fate of some individuals. "What we are striving for is knowledge transfer. Strategic planning is essential for that" he notes. "In order to do justice to local needs, every project must be individually planned, taking existing local resources into account. After a pilot phase and the establishment of long-term projects, local specialists should take over as soon as possible and the foreign experts should withdraw."

Sustainable development cooperation needs to orient itself to the criteria of the "Paris 2005 Declaration," Professor Salzer emphasizes. The most important pillars of sustained development cooperation, according to that international resolution, are as follows:

- Ownership: the governments of the recipient countries assume responsibility for the future of the projects;
- Alignment: the donor countries orient themselves to the needs and system of the recipient countries;
- Harmonization: coordinated support of the various locally operating aid organizations.

"Unfortunately, these principles are not being implemented in many development projects," Professor Salzer regrets. The EFORT symposium is a good opportunity not only to lend force to these concerns, but to exchange experiences as well. "It will be a decisive life's experience for anyone deciding to actively participate in development projects. That's not only true for young doctors, but for doctors who share their long years of experience in the professional and personal realm," Professor Salzer is convinced.

Source
EFORT