Nestled in the azure waters of the Gulf of Guinea, off the Western coast of Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest country in this continent regarding both size and population. It consists of two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe surrounded by several smaller islets. The islands are adorned with rainforests, beaches, and mountains that provide a picturesque backdrop, making tourism one of the pillars of the country’s economy. At the same time, thanks to the rich volcanic soil, agriculture is another important part of the economy. Unfortunately, similar to most island countries, it is vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather, which hindered the development of this developing nation. Many transnational organizations collaborate with the local government to build up their capacity when encountering challenges.
In the past two months, I had the precious opportunity to work as a fellow in the Health Team of the UNDP, where I gained first-hand experience on how transnational institutions offer support to aid-receiving countries. The UNDP is a transnational institution which aims to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. They help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. I am currently assisting with the work for two projects, the Digitalization of a Health Information System and the construction of medical laboratories and warehouses. For the former project, our team is assisting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to adopt online database platforms. In São Tomé and Príncipe, health facilities are still relying on the paper system to record the information of patients and medical supplies. This type of documentation is unreliable as paper documents are prone to damage. Also, it is difficult to store and easy to lose. Therefore, we are organizing some training workshops with the technical team of the MoH, teaching people how to utilize the platforms to track patients' medical records and the use of medical supplies. In the long run, the healthcare system can transfer more and more information online. For the latter one, our team is helping to recruit foreign construction companies to build the laboratories and storage facilities. Though the country has these facilities now, the spaces are limited and the equipment inside is a bit outdated. For instance, the laboratories in the country do not have a microbiology or bacteriology unit. Hence, they cannot carry out any bacterial culture and sensitivity testing. With the construction in the future, they can then provide a very critical service of evidence-based diagnostic services to guide clinicians in the treatment of bacterial and other microbiological diseases in the country.
Besides working in the UNDP, this placement offers a great chance to explore this hidden gem. I would spend my weekends travelling around the island, having a casual walk around the city, or joining local tours to enjoy the natural scenery of this country. Sometimes, my friends and colleagues invite me to go out and have a nice meal. Throughout this journey, I can always discover something interesting and understand more about this country. Most importantly, I have adapted to the new lifestyle here called leve leve (a light and relaxed attitude to life), which is completely different from the fast-paced city of Hong Kong. At the end of this post, I would like to give special thanks to the UNDP and my professors of the GHD programme for making this fellowship programme happen!
A photo taken during my local tour – the mountain at the background is the landmark of the São Tomé Island, Cão Grande Peak
Training for the technicians of health information system on the management of the online system
A photo taken after the Annual Meeting of the UN office (São Tomé and Príncipe) with some friends I met
A group photo taken with the technicians at the end of the online system training
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Jimmy Hung
Placement Site: UNDP, São Tomé and Príncipe
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