Zambia Health Partnership - Mennonite Health Services

Company

LOGO

Zambia Health Partnership:

Macha Mission Hospital,

Macha Research Trust and

the Zambian Brethren in

Christ Church

Mennonite Health Summit

20 – 21 July 2015

Presented by Bishop T Hamukang’andu

and Dr P Thuma

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Macha 3

Outline of Presentation Introduction

1. Define components of a healthy partnership

2. History and time-line of BICC Zambia and its

health ministries

3. Development of clinical research program

4. Organogram showing various partners

5. Roles played by those fostering the

partnership

6. Collaborating for a shared vision and mission

7. Benefits and values + challenges and rewards

8. Questions for discussion

The Great Commission

Matt, 28:18-20 • Then Jesus came to them and said, “All

authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

• This gives us the what we should do and probably the time frame as well.

How do we carry out the Great Commission?

• BICC-Z is involved in Education, Health

and Humanitarian ministries in response to

the Great Commission

• All these ministries are not an ‘end in

themselves’ – they are an effort to carry

out the command of our Saviour and Lord

Jesus Christ (Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:9)

How do we carry out the Great Commission?

• He sent them out to preach the Kingdom

of God and to heal the sick.

• How do we do that today?

• One way is through the health and

educational institutions, in addition to

church planting - i. e. a holistic ministry

• The mandate is clear and we need to

continue to work on the “How?”

1. What is a healthy partnership?

• Partnership implies working together

• Components:

– Open dialogue is a key component

– Understanding various cultural perspectives

– Mechanism must be available for settling

disputes and differences

– Concentrating on the similarities rather than

the differences

– Develop consensus in agreements

• How to address ‘unequal’ partnerships

2. History and Time-Line: Early Years

• 1906 - Macha Mission founded by Francis

Davidson, Adda Engle, Ndhlalambi Moyo

and Gomo Sibanda as a BIC church ‘plant’

Pictures from BIC History and Life Vol 33:3 Dec 2010

Sources: South and South Central Africa. H Frances Davidson, 1915; BIC History and Life Vol 17:2, 1994

Zambian BIC Church Growth

• 1909: first baptism

takes place at

Macha

• 1956: first two

national

overseers

appointed

(Peter Munsaka &

Sampson

Mudenda)

Zambian BIC Church Transitions

• 1920 - Sikalongo Mission established

• 1954 - Nahumba Mission established

• 1954 - BIC mission policy to move

Africans into leadership positions

• 1964 - Church transitioned from

American-based denomination to

an African-based denomination

with missionary as Bishop

• 1978 - first Zambian national elected

as Bishop

Map of Macha, Choma & Sikalongo

Time - Line of Health Work

• 1924 – Health care offered at Macha by missionary nurse

• 1957 – Macha Mission Hospital opened by first missionary doctor

• ~ 1964 – first African nurse joined hospital staff

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Time - Line of Health Work

• 1960’s – building of rural health centers

• 1970’s – hospital expanded to 208 beds

including separate maternity, TB and

pediatric wards, operating theatre and

radiology unit

• 1980’s – increased public health emphasis

with immunization outreach, water and

sanitation program and expanded eye

clinic

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3. Clinical research program

• Hospital kept excellent records and carried

out annual review of causes of morbidity

and mortality

• Malaria was number one cause of

pediatric morbidity and mortality and major

cause of adult morbidity

• Due to providential circumstances, the

door opened to begin a malaria research

program at Macha in 1989

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Over 100% increase

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Malaria, 24%

Protein Energy Malnutrition, 14%

AIDS, 10%

Pneumonia, 8%

Anemia, 7%

Other, 18%

Macha Hospital 2000

Causes of Death - All AgesTotal = 596

Malaria Protein Energy Malnutrition AIDS Pneumonia

Anemia Pulmonary TB Cardiovascular Disease Meningitis

Diarrhea Digestive - non infectious Other

Malaria Institute at Macha

• Program began as part of the hospital and

church’s ministry

• As it grew and attracted secular partners

including academic and pharmaceutical

interests, a decision was made to form an

independent entity registered in Zambia

but located on church-owned property

adjacent to the hospital

• Macha Research Trust registered as a

Zambia non profit company in 2009

Macha Research Trust

• Governed by a Board of Directors that

includes the Bishop of Zambian BICC

• Senior staff chosen because of their

Christian commitment as well as their

scientific or administrative abilities

Time - Line of Research Work

• 1989 - Malaria research activities began at hospital

• 2005 – Malaria Institute at

Macha (MIAM) officially opened by Zambian Deputy Minister of Health.

• 2009 – Research Institute renamed Macha Research Trust to include work on

HIV, TB, etc. 21

Summary: what is at Macha Mission today?

• In addition to the church, there are now:

– two high schools and two primary schools

– 208 bed hospital

– health center for outpatients and care of HIV patients

– public health program

– nursing school

– research institute

– youth sports ministry

4. Organogram of Partners

• Zambia has been fortunate to have a long

history of the church-administered

(mission) hospitals working as part of the

Ministry of Health program

• In addition to support of staff salaries and

“bed grants” to hospitals from MoH, there

is an on-going relationship between the

two - under the umbrella organization

called “Churches Health Association of

Zambia” (CHAZ)

Brethren in Christ Church,

Zambia

Johns Hopkins Malaria Research

Institute

Zambian Government Ministry of

Health

Macha Mission Hospital

Macha Research Trust

Macha Malaria Research

Institute - USA

Brethren in Christ Church, North America

Church’s Health Association of

Zambia (CHAZ)

WHO, NIH, Academic &

Pharmaceutical Institutions

BICC-Z Administration of Health Work

• BICCZ has also had an administrative

framework not only for its health ministry,

but also its educational and theological

training ministries

• This creates accountability and authority

• General Conference

– Church Executive Board

• Medical Administrative Committee

– Hospital Executive Director

» Hospital Management Board

5. Fostering Roles Played by

Individuals

• Founding doctor of Macha Mission

Hospital was well liked and appreciated,

indicated by how many people have been

named after him, even to this day

• Many other doctors, nurses and others,

both foreign and nationals, have poured

their lives into the health ministry of the

church

Roles played by individuals

• Commitment

– to the church and its vision

– to holistic ministry of the church

– willing to work together, not individually

– service to others, not themselves

• Vision

– able to dream of larger programs

– seeing the needs and working to solve them

• Result: long term service by many

6. Collaboration: a shared mission

and vision • Each partner and participant must feel

valued and appreciated

• Working to build up one another, not

tearing each other down

• BICC-Z Medical Administrative committee

guides the mission and vision of the health

ministry, with input from non-medical

people in the church

• Medical Admin committee answers to

church Executive board

Collaboration

• Involves

– respecting and valuing one another’s opinions

and abilities

– working towards a common goal

– allowing others to take the lead

• Motivated by a common belief in God’s

work here on earth

7 (a). Benefits and Values

• Each partner in any partnership must both

receive and contribute in order for the

partnership to be effective

• Both the church and the health ministry

must perceive value in the relationship

• The church has allowed the health

professionals to provide leadership in the

health ministry

7 (a). Benefits and Values • BICC-Z Receives:

– recognition as being involved in well-

respected health care delivery in the country

– local church benefits (financially and

otherwise) from many professionals in

attendance as members

– community acceptance as provider of care

• BICC-Z contributes:

– church-owned land for the health ministry

– appoints a chaplain to minister at the hospital

– its own history of a well-respected church in

Zambia

–

7 (a). Benefits and Values

• Macha Mission Hospital receives:

– support through the church

– recognition as a part of CHAZ

• Macha Mission Hospital contributes:

– financial help to the church

– enhances reputation of the BICC-Z

7 (b). Challenges and Rewards

CHALLENGES:

• To be able to provide quality services to

all, especially those poor and vulnerable in

society - who can’t access other services

• The donor demands sometimes tend to

push away from the mandate of God

• Tendency to divide the mandate due to

professionalism and a desire not to look to

God

CHALLENGES:

• Services are demanded by many people

even outside the hospital catchment area,

making staff and resources strained

• Consensus in agreement is not always

easy among partners


REWARDS:

• Creates job opportunities for people

• The church is respected in her holistic

approach to ministry

• People are able to access health services

within their reach

• The disease burden is reduced among

communities while personal needs are

being addressed


REWARDS

• Health staff can be part of church outreach

programs and church planting groups

• Hospital chaplain can contribute to

spiritual care of patients


A. The great commission – does it apply ?

- Does it apply to all churches in all

countries?

- If so, how to we put it into practice?

- Can we expect other groups or

organizations to carry out part of the “great

commission for us?


B. Partnership implies working together

– Can there be a ‘senior’ and ‘junior’ partner, or

is the best design to have co-equal partners

from the beginning?

– Can the partnership change over time?

– If a former partner sees things falling apart

(from their viewpoint), how should they react?

– How should a partner react when they feel

like a former partner is being manipulative?


C. Health care programs: asset or burden?

- Do they help or hinder the growth of the

church?

- In what ways can they work together to

show the love of Christ to others?

- How should church leaders interact with

those leading church health programs?

- How should health care program leaders

interact with church leaders?


D. Can the church work with scientists?

- is there inevitable conflict between

their world views?

E. Can scientists with with the church?

- are there examples of outstanding

Christian scientists?


F. Questions and Answers from the

audience

Conclusion

We in the Zambian Brethren in

Christ Church believe that the

church and its health ministries

can work together in a

complementary way, and thus

carry out the Great

Commission.

Zambia Health Partnership - Mennonite Health Services

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