Qatar Charity (QC) and King’s College London have signed a Letter of Intent to work together to address global challenges, starting with a project to deliver health improvements in Somaliland.
HE the Minister of State and QC chairman Sheikh Hamad Nasser J al-Thani and King’s College London president and principal Prof Shitij Kapur were the signatories in the presence of Qatar's ambassador to the UK Fahd bin Mohammed al-Attiyah.
Both parties will work together on projects strengthening health systems and improving the quality of healthcare in fragile settings where populations bear some of the highest rates of disease and mortality.
Laura Hucks, director of King’s Global Health Partnerships (KGHP); Matthew Gorman, director of Fundraising and Supporter Development; and Ahmed al-Rumaihi, director of the External Affairs Office, QC, signed a grant agreement of approximately £1.1million, for the inaugural joint project – Improving the Quality of Healthcare in Somaliland.
With over 20 years of experience working in Somaliland, KGHP will work in partnership with the Ministry of Health Development and the World Health Organisation to implement a healthcare improvement strategy that can be rolled out across the country.
The project will work with all six regional hospitals in Somaliland, which serve over 45,000 patients each year, to directly improve the quality of care. The project will also work with universities in Somaliland to deliver improvements to higher education doctors before entering the health system.
In partnership with the Tropical Health Education Trust , the country’s Medical Schools will be supported to transition to a new national undergraduate medical curriculum that meets international standards for training doctors. Support will also be provided to the government to develop a plan to establish postgraduate training (in areas such as paediatrics, obstetrics and surgery).
HE Sheikh Hamad said: “With King’s Global Health Partnerships’ solid groundwork in strengthening health systems, we aim to support the building blocks of a strong, inclusive health system in countries where children, women and fragile populations bear some of the highest rates of disease and mortality. I am a strong believer in partnerships between universities and NGOs, and I am confident that together we will translate today’s commitment of partnership into a reality in the lives of the people we serve as we work towards the 2030 development agenda.”
Prof Kapur, said: “As part of our King’s College London Vision 2029, we are committed to giving back to society through meaningful service, and Qatar Charity is a key partner for this work. We are proud to be delivering on this commitment and improving health services and outcomes for people around the world through the impactful work of KGHP”.
With 33 offices across Africa, Asia and Europe and a global network of partners from UN agencies, governments and local actors, QC supports and empowers communities in over 60 countries through interventions in child protection, education, cultural development, health, food and nutrition, water and sanitation, economic empowerment, social welfare, disaster preparedness and response, and housing.
