LIVERPOOL ASSOCIATES IN TROPICAL HEALTH LTD

Established in 1986 as a not-for-profit subsidiary of the world-renowned Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), LATH is a dedicated technical assistance company specialising in programme management, consultancy and training. All surplus revenues are invested in the School&rsquos pioneering work in tropical medicine and international health. We pride ourselves on channelling LSTM&rsquos charitable mission into a values-led approach.

We deliver sustainability through capacity development and continually putting issues of equality and vulnerability at the fore. Our work directly contributes to meeting the Millennium Development Goals for reducing poverty and inequalities in the developing world. This includes cutting infant mortality, improving maternal healthcare and reversing the spread of endemic diseases.

LATH employs more than 40 people based in Liverpool, Africa and Asia, and draws upon an in-house pool of over 100 experienced staff employed by LSTM. We also have access to a wide network of international health professionals.


Activities

Expertise includes:

• Malaria
• HIV/AIDS
• Laboratory services
• TB SWAps
• Quality assurance
• Maternal and neonatal health
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Human resources development
• Evidence based medicine
• Gender mainstreaming
• Capacity development
• Commodities and logistics management
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Expanded programmes on immunization
• Health management information systems
• Health system reform
• Social development
• Institutional and organizational development

TYPICAL PROJECTS

LATH has significant experience in health policy and planning in Africa, having provided long term support in health planning to the Ministries of Health in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia.

In Mozambique, LATH provided support to the Ministry of Health in developing and implementing a Strategic Plan for Health based on a new Sector-wide Approach and promoting on-going stakeholder consultation in the planning process. TA was procured in in Strategic Planning, Health Sector Investment Planning, Health Financing, HMIS, QA systems, Gender Mainstreaming, Decentralisation, Communications, the role of Special Clinics, and Review of Regulatory Frameworks - especially around pharmaceuticals. LATH is continuing this work under a World Bank contract, revising the tools and processes of health planning.

In Malawi, LATH has worked with the MOH for several years providing technical support to the design and implementation of the health SWAp through a mix of hands-on work and capacity development in Health Planning, Systems and Financing; Financial Management; Procurement; Human Resource Management and Development; Monitoring and Evaluation; and scale-up of Essential Medical Laboratories. In 1999 LATH was awarded a DFID contract to support the formulation of four components of the 4th National Health Plan. One of these components was the Health Care Financing Strategy. Subsequently, LATH was awarded DFID and EU contracts in Malawi to support Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) (2000-2006); Design of a SWAp (2002); Support to SWAp Implementation (2005-2007). LATH currently contracts 4 long term Tas in SRH and 15 long term technical assistants. All are within the MoH working to MoH line managers. Also in Malawi, since December 2005 LATH has been awarded by The Health Foundation with the management of a five year programme of quality improvement with a focus on the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This programme is being implemented through a consortium of partners: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Women and Children First and the Institute of Child Health of the University College in London.

LATH is a major partner in the DFID PATHS Programme in Nigeria, a 7 year DFID Health Sector Support Programme designed to assist in strengthening the health system in 5 focal states and at Federal level. The programme advises on how to improve health outcomes for Nigerians from the most common causes of morbidity and mortality including safe motherhood.

In both Kenya and Yemen, LATH has helped the Ministries of Health write National Reproductive Health Guidelines.

In Kenya, LATH manage a contract to provide support to the delivery of essential health services, of which equal access to quality Reproductive Health Services countrywide is a primary output. The approach to the programme is flexible in support of the National Health Strategic Plan and the Reproductive Health Strategic Plan. The programme provides flexible technical assistance to the Ministry of Health alongside some operational research activities designed to inform future policy and practice.

LATH is a senior partner in the TAMA (Technical Assistance Management Agency) that procures and manages technical assistance to support the DFID and USAID joint funded 4-year National Health and Population Facility in Pakistan. The purpose of the NHF is to increase the utilisation of public health services. It is designed to tackle federal, provincial and district level problems that limit the effectiveness of the health and population programmes: the lack of resources, of implementation and monitoring capacity, and of effective policy. Through an office in Pakistan, TAMA effectively forms a Resource Centre that identifies, sub-contracts, quality assures and manages all technical assistance. LATH and LSTM have worked with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to development a RCOG International Office. This initiative will strengthen existing links and create opportunities to bring together the resources, expertise and networks of all partners to contribute to the achievement of the MDGs.

LATH is a partner in a new programme to reduce the impact of neglected tropical diseases. Funded by the USAID, the rapid impact disease control programme will treat more than 40 million people annually for five years. It will focus on the integrated control of seven of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases which cause severe disability and death in some of the world's poorest countries including onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis (snail fever) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). LATH will provide key technical and managerial staff in Liverpool and Washington to support project implementation as well as sourcing and managing short-term technical assistance to the programme.

EXPERIENCE IN
EUROPE & CIS: Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA: Iran, Liberia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen

AFRICA: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

EAST ASIA: China, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam

SOUTH ASIA: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand

CARIBBEAN: Haiti

OFFICES ABROAD
LATH have offices in Ghana, Kenya, USA and Malawi

ASSOCIATIONS
LATH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM)

SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES
Healthcare: Operational management & management consultancy

SECTORS AND DISCIPLINES

EXPERIENCE IN