Bruno Meessen
The Performance Based Financing Community of Practice (PBF CoP) started 3 years ago in Bujumbura and hasn't stopped growing since then. We have the pleasure to present you Dr. Fodé Cissé who, two weeks ago, became the 1000th member of the PBF CoP. We wish him a warm welcome and hope that he will enjoy our knowledge community. Fodé registered from Kigali, where he was following a PBF training.
Dear Fodé, we would like to know more about the 1000th member of the PBF CoP. Could you please introduce yourself?
I am 39 years old and I have the Guinean nationality. I'm married and father of 3. I'm a medical doctor, specialized in the management of health services. After having finished my medical studies, I worked for Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium from 2000 till 2002, on a project taking care of Tuberculosis and HIV in Guinea. After that I joined the Ministry of Public Health in 2004 after having finished my Master in Management of Health Services. There, I was responsible for the follow-up evaluation of the TB Program (2004-2007). I was also Head of the Global Fund project (2007-2012). In this position, I did several international consultancies dealing with the design and implementation of health projects. At the moment, I work for the Strategies and Development Office of the Ministry of Public Health, where I am in charge of studies and planning.
You registered to the CoP from Kigali. Could you please tell us a bit about what you learned from your stay in Rwanda?
It was my second stay in Rwanda. Every time I come here, I think about the principles of non-violence and the love of one’s neighbor. The genocide sufficiently proves that mankind is ready to do anything in order to achieve its goals. This tragedy should inspire all people of the world in general and African people in particular who are getting introduced to democracy. This introduction sometimes causes a fratricidal struggle between brothers and sisters of the same village who have lived together peacefully for a long time. As far as the health system of Rwanda is concerned, I found that, compared to our system, it has a high standard. The Performance Based Financing system is already operational; I've also been able to see that it has been adapted to the Rwandese situation.
Do you think that PBF has a future in Guinea? According to you, what problems of the health system could this strategy, at least partly, address?
To your question whether the FBP has any future in Guinea I can say "yes", without any doubt. The Guinean health system – just like the health system of other countries of the sub-region - suffers from structural weaknesses, which impede to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Among these weaknesses, I particularly think of the problem of financing the sector, the lack of access to quality care and the poor governance. Looking at these shortcomings, the introduction of the PBF will undoubtedly allow breathing new life into the health system of my country: the Primary Health Care strategy, as it has been implemented till now, has shown its limitations.
Therefore, I call upon the Guinean health authorities on all levels, as well as their technical and financial partners, to adopt PBF as a new instrument to resolve the recurring problems which our health system is currently facing.
The Performance Based Financing Community of Practice (PBF CoP) started 3 years ago in Bujumbura and hasn't stopped growing since then. We have the pleasure to present you Dr. Fodé Cissé who, two weeks ago, became the 1000th member of the PBF CoP. We wish him a warm welcome and hope that he will enjoy our knowledge community. Fodé registered from Kigali, where he was following a PBF training.
Dear Fodé, we would like to know more about the 1000th member of the PBF CoP. Could you please introduce yourself?
I am 39 years old and I have the Guinean nationality. I'm married and father of 3. I'm a medical doctor, specialized in the management of health services. After having finished my medical studies, I worked for Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium from 2000 till 2002, on a project taking care of Tuberculosis and HIV in Guinea. After that I joined the Ministry of Public Health in 2004 after having finished my Master in Management of Health Services. There, I was responsible for the follow-up evaluation of the TB Program (2004-2007). I was also Head of the Global Fund project (2007-2012). In this position, I did several international consultancies dealing with the design and implementation of health projects. At the moment, I work for the Strategies and Development Office of the Ministry of Public Health, where I am in charge of studies and planning.
You registered to the CoP from Kigali. Could you please tell us a bit about what you learned from your stay in Rwanda?
It was my second stay in Rwanda. Every time I come here, I think about the principles of non-violence and the love of one’s neighbor. The genocide sufficiently proves that mankind is ready to do anything in order to achieve its goals. This tragedy should inspire all people of the world in general and African people in particular who are getting introduced to democracy. This introduction sometimes causes a fratricidal struggle between brothers and sisters of the same village who have lived together peacefully for a long time. As far as the health system of Rwanda is concerned, I found that, compared to our system, it has a high standard. The Performance Based Financing system is already operational; I've also been able to see that it has been adapted to the Rwandese situation.
Do you think that PBF has a future in Guinea? According to you, what problems of the health system could this strategy, at least partly, address?
To your question whether the FBP has any future in Guinea I can say "yes", without any doubt. The Guinean health system – just like the health system of other countries of the sub-region - suffers from structural weaknesses, which impede to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Among these weaknesses, I particularly think of the problem of financing the sector, the lack of access to quality care and the poor governance. Looking at these shortcomings, the introduction of the PBF will undoubtedly allow breathing new life into the health system of my country: the Primary Health Care strategy, as it has been implemented till now, has shown its limitations.
Therefore, I call upon the Guinean health authorities on all levels, as well as their technical and financial partners, to adopt PBF as a new instrument to resolve the recurring problems which our health system is currently facing.
