The Innovation Cluster houses FPD’s Epidemiology and Research Unit, FPD’s healthcare leadership and health systems consultancy services, and numerous FPD innovation projects which focus on public health and capacity development projects across the African region. The Innovation Cluster loosely functions as a health think tank with the ability to pilot, evaluate and create awareness around innovative ideas. We have a strategic focus on professionalising healthcare management in support of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and supporting the learning agenda for the National Health Insurance. Our current projects include:
FPD's Research Unit (RU) was established in 2014 and is tasked with applying scientific and epidemiologic methods to study, advance, and inform public health programmes and policy development. The Unit is based in the East London sub-district of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of South Africa. An important component of our mission and vision is to establish local research capacity, infrastructure and expertise in the Eastern Cape, working in close partnership and collaboration with the Department of Health, local communities and other stakeholders.
FPD supports IntraHealth and partners to work with sub-Saharan countries in Africa to rapidly prepare local organizations and government entities to serve as prime partners for USAID and U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programming, including by strengthening their capabilities and resources to address HIV within their populations.
FPD has partnered with UNICEF regional and country offices in support of various district health systems strengthening initiatives. FPD has supported UNICEF ESARO, UNICEF Country Offices and local institutional partners to develop and professionalize district healthcare management in support of improved district health governance and management performance in target districts in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda (2018,2019-2022), Mozambique (2021-2023), South Africa (2021-2023) and São Tomé and Príncipe (2022-2023).
FPD’s healthcare leadership and health systems consultancy services bridges the space between capacity gap and action. FPD has a long track record in working with funders, local stakeholders and development partners to improve upon and adapt strategies, guidelines and tools to the local context, co-designing learning programmes to make content accessible, and building the capacity and confidence of healthcare managers to try and adopt the new approach. We provide training, mentorship, systemic coaching, professional coaching and education and HSS technical advice.
The General Practitioners Care Cell (GPCC) is a National Health Insurance (NHI)-demonstration programme that was conceptualized and implemented to help shape the South African Government’s NHI learning agenda. Co-developed with PPO Serve and officials at various levels in the Department of Health and shortlisted as a Finalist in Healthcare for the Vision 2030 Awards in 2019, the GPCC is a structured network of GP practices and community pharmacies that are organised and managed to deliver standardized clinical services using the purchaser-provider split as envisioned under the NHI. The GPCC operated in Gauteng Province 2018-2022.
