Who is it for and what is the focus?
The Healthcare Forum is for all those interested in healthcare or medical work as an expression of Christian mission. The forum aims to address issues of concern to those working around the world in healthcare, with a view to promoting good practice and indentifying key issues.
What sort of issues have been covered?
Over the past few years, the forum has covered topics such as:
- HIV - looking at how to mobilise the UK and global church to address the pandemic.
- The future of healthcare mission in Sub-Saharan Africa
- The role of the Christian Hospital in the 21st century
- Community health – rediscovering for the future
What are our hopes for the future?
We are currently re-examining why and how we people are involved in healthcare as mission including issues such as:
- What is the theological basis for healthcare/medical mission?
- What are our aims in doing health work?
- How do missiology, epidemiology and public health strategy intersect and interact with compassionate care?
- What are the realities that churches and missions face on the ground that are causing many to re-engage with community and primary healthcare as a necessity?
Consequently over the next two years, Global Connections, in association with Christian Medical Fellowship, Community Health Global Network and other key stakeholders, is looking to convene a major consultation in 2010 with different missions, churches, networks of Christian health professionals and other interested parties on the future of health care mission.
The process is planned to happen in three stages:
- An initial consultation for key invited stakeholders in April 2009 to identify the key stakeholders and key outcomes hoped for over the next few years
- A track at the Global Connections Conference - 4th to 6th November
- A wide ranging consultation Meeting in 2010 – date to be arranged
The initial meeting for key invited stakeholders will seek to:
- Identify the parameters of the consultation
- Identify other key stakeholders who should be included in the process
- Identify the key events/milestones that we want to see happen
- Identify the key outcomes we want to achieve through the consultation
The broad aims of the meeting in 2010 will be to find out what new models and innovations are going on, share new ideas between groups that may not yet know of one another, and look at ways of increasing our effectiveness. However, these aims will be redefined as the process develops.
Who is the planning team?
The Chair is Steve Fouch (Christian Medical Fellwoship - CMF). Other members include Dr Nick Henwood (Community Health Global Network - CHGN), Ted Lankester (Interhealth and CHGN), Vicky Lavy (CMF), Zannah Jeffrey (CHGN), Dr Nick Wooding (ECHO International Health Services) and Martin Lee (Global Connections).
The forum administrator is Sandy Morgan.
