Network for Africa Holds First Online Chat

The Abt Associates-led PSP-One project's Network for Africa (N4A) launched the first of several online chats on October 2, 2008. In the 60 minute session, Dr. Loevinsohn from the World Bank addressed twenty questions from nine countries on the objectives, design, and cost-effectiveness of various contracting methods. A full record of the chat is available at http://discuss.psp-one.com/content/interview/detail/551/.

The Network for Africa will be holding several additional chats in the coming months. These chats will focus on topics of interest to network members on engaging the private health sector. To suggest a chat topic, email sarah_ritterhoff@abtassoc.com. To join the Network for Africa, visit www.network4africa.com.

Dr. Loevinsohn is the Lead Public Health Specialist of the Health Nutrition and Population Unit at the World Bank, and one of the architects of a large-scale World Bank-supported performance-based contracting program in Afghanistan that contracts out health service delivery to a mix of international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He has also studied the global experience with contracting for health services and is the author of several publications on contracting, including a recent toolkit that addresses practical concerns on how to contract in developing countries.