Transforming Healthcare Access in the Pacific Islands: A Closer Look at the Fred Hollows Foundation's ATScale Programme
Helping Pacific health ministries prepare endorsed expressions of interest for the ATScale assistive-technology programme.
The challenge
The Fred Hollows Foundation Australia and New Zealand launched ATScale, an initiative to scale up access to assistive technology and rehabilitation services (the tools, equipment and products that help people with disabilities maintain or improve their functioning and independence) across the Pacific Islands. To take part, Pacific Island governments needed to prepare high-quality Expressions of Interest (EOI) endorsed by senior officials and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Each EOI required comprehensive responses on current policies, funding levels, staffing, service providers and situational analyses, often exceeding 25 pages, and had to be completed in a tight timeframe.
What we did
- The Foundation engaged Future Partners Associate Dr Iobi Batio to help Pacific Island governments craft high-quality Expressions of Interest for the ATScale programme.
- Dr Iobi, an experienced medical doctor and public health consultant based in Kiribati, drew on his experience and connections within the region's Ministries of Health to gather and analyse the necessary data. He consulted key stakeholders in Kiribati and Samoa, compiling insights from government departments and other local sources, and completed the ATScale EOI template, securing government sign-off amidst significant time constraints.