Health Systems Strengthening Project launched in Jordan

The HSS II project is designed to support the Kingdom's Ministry of Health (MOH) in its efforts to address the country's major health challenges today - reducing fertility rates, improving women's health, family planning and reproductive health services and facilitating access to healthcare services and information- by strengthening key health system elements that most directly affect performance in these areas.

Mr. Mustafa Nasserdein, Executive Director of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Company International (TAGI), which is part of the Project's senior management team, said, "We are proud to be part of this successful project which will aim at increasing the level of health awareness in the society and help achieve better health care levels."

The HSS II will build on the achievements of the HSS Project, supporting improvements in the quality of services at hospital and primary health care levels and will promote the principles and practice of knowledge management to ensure utilization of information systems that inform decision making and knowledge dissemination at all levels of the health care system.

According to Nasserdein, "The project will also implement a holistic quality improvement strategy that builds competency and commitment to primary health care service improvement, institutionalize a safe motherhood program, increase access to family planning, improve community health and develop human resources in addition to others."

The project's first phase which started September 2009 and will end February 2010 focuses on renovating and equipping the emergency rooms and obstetric and neonatal wards of selected hospitals and associated training, Meanwhile, Phase II started January 2010 and will end August 2014 through the new five year health systems and services project funded by USAID/Jordan and implemented by Abt Associates and its partners in close coordination with the MOH and the Royal Medical Services.