IDI is currently engaged in many different kinds of relationships with a range of national, regional and global institutions. However there are a handful of relationships that are absolutely critical to IDI’s success; and without them, IDI could not exist.  Three of these institutions are the Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Mulago National Referral Hospital, and the Accordia Global Health Foundation.  Below are key developments in each of these relationships over the past year: 

Makerere University College of Health Sciences:  In August 2009 the College of Health Sciences was formally launched, bringing together the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Health Sciences.  IDI is privileged to be part of the College, within the School of Medicine.  This relationship has been critical to IDI’s growth.  Faculty members from the College have contributed to IDI through serving in a number of important capacities:  membership on IDI’s Board of Directors; membership on IDI’s Senior Management Team; Principal Investigators for a range of research projects; and facilitators for the Training Programme.  IDI continues to look for innovative ways to support the College and to partner with the individual Schools and departments within the College.  For example, over the past few years IDI has partnered with several units of the College in developing major grant proposals—including the School of Public Health; the Departments of Surgery, Pharmacy, and Pharmacology and Therapeutics; and MJAP.  IDI intends to continue fully supporting the College, and its individual schools, in the process of planning and developing its systems, which will in turn help it to promote excellence in health sciences throughout Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. 

Mulago National Referral Hospital:  This year the relationship between IDI and Mulago Hospital has continued to develop, through a number of mechanisms:

• IDI has donated equipment and supplies to help in various emergency situations (such as the cholera outbreak earlier this year), and intends to continue this practice as necessary
• Mulago provides IDI with ARVs donated by the Global Fund
• Mulago and IDI continue to collaborate, in the process of ensuring that excellent care is available from Ward 4A (the infectious diseases ward).  Joint rounds and training sessions regularly take place in the ward. 
• Mulago has asked IDI to support development of Ward 4B, which has been agreed in principle
• Mulago refers HIV positive patients to IDI for on-going care, and IDI refers critically ill HIV positive patients to Mulago for in-patient care, when necessary

Accordia Global Health Foundation:  IDI and Accordia continue to engage in a number of areas that support the development of both organizations.  This year Accordia received a grant for a large project entitled Integrated Infectious Disease Capacity Building Program (IDCAP), to determine a cost effective way to build capacity for the care and prevention of infectious diseases among mid-level practitioners in sub-Sahara Africa.  IDI will be one of Accordia’s key partners in this project’s implementation.  In addition, Accordia and IDI co-sponsored Accordia’s annual Infectious Diseases Summit in April (on the topic of on the topic of “Building Health Care Leadership in Africa”), which this year took place in Kampala.  IDI and Accordia continue to fruitfully develop and clarify strategic areas of collaboration through a variety of routine interactions between staff members at various levels of both organizations.