USTDA Sector Brief - Health Care

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.

USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

USTDA recognizes the importance of health care infrastructure to countries’ growth and development. Since 2001, the agency has supported 23 health-related activities in 14 countries that are designed to assist project sponsors in achieving their priorities in this critical sector. Some of USTDA’s activities have included developing and analyzing plans to establish, expand or upgrade facilities; strengthening health care management techniques; introducing new technologies; and establishing programs to improve occupational health and hygiene.

The following is an illustrative list of USTDA activities in the health care sector:

East Asia

No briefs at this time.

Europe and Eurasia

Russia: Medical Technology and Health Care Management – USTDA is funding an orientation visit to the United States for Russian health care officials in September 2006. The visit will serve to expose the Russian officials to U.S. medical technology and health care management.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Brazil: Braskem Occupational Health and Hygiene Program – USTDA provided a $423,415 technical assistance grant to Braskem, a Brazilian petrochemical company, to assist in the establishment of an occupational health and hygiene program. The technical assistance will assess current occupational health conditions at Braskem's facilities, evaluate existing health and hygiene standards and international best practices and recommend new standards, remedial actions and training programs to be implemented throughout Braskem. Successful implementation of the occupational health and hygiene program will reduce workers' exposure to hazardous materials and risk of airborne contamination and improve air quality in the vicinity of Braskem's facilities.

Chile: Hospital Salvador Infrastructure Concession Program – USTDA funded a $138,899 orientation visit to the United States to familiarize Chilean decision makers with U.S. expertise in hospital planning, clinical management and administration and to inform U.S. companies of business opportunities related to Chile's hospital infrastructure concession program. The visit complements the objectives of a USTDA-funded technical assistance grant to the Ministry of Health to plan the renovation of the Salvador Infante hospital complex in Santiago and the G.G. Benavente hospital complex in Concepción, Chile.

Colombia: Health Services Reform – USTDA provided a $500,000 technical assistance grant through its Evergreen Fund at the Inter-American Development Bank to conduct an inventory and property appraisal of 37 hospitals, train hospital personnel on how to conduct property appraisals, and help prepare a pilot concession of two hospitals to private investors.

Middle East and North Africa

No briefs at this time.

South and Southeast Asia

Bangladesh: American Standard International Hospital – USTDA awarded a $314,362 grant to the Industrial and Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited of Bangladesh to partially fund a study on the construction of a 200-bed world-class specialty hospital. Consistent with the National Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's initiative on the development of Bangladesh's health, medical, and hospital services, the grant will support the construction of specialized facilities and the training of physicians and other healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. American Hospital Consortium, LLC has been selected to conduct the study.

India: Specialty Medical Hospital – USTDA awarded a $283,800 grant to Umkal Medical Institute Private Limited of India to fund a study on the construction of a 200-bed hospital offering specialized healthcare services in cardiology, nephrology, and trauma. Because the country still suffers from a severe shortage of hospital beds and other specialized services, the Indian government has initiated a plan to increase the overall quality of healthcare provided. KUPS International conducted the study.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Cameroon: Medical Facility Expansion – USTDA granted Polyclinique Bonanjo $289,180 to partially fund investment analysis on the renovation, expansion and modernization of a hospital located in Douala, Cameroon. The project aims to expand and renovate the existing facility and its services. Implementation of this study would further enhance Polyclinic Bonanjo's ability to meet the medical needs of the regional population, including prominent health problems such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and coronary and pulmonary disease. WorldMed, Inc. of Houston, Texas conducted the study for Polyclinic Bonanjo. Polyclinic is pursuing financing for the implementation of this project.

Kenya: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Resource Management and Infrastructure Project – USTDA provided a $396,125 technical assistance grant to assist KNH in updating a strategic plan for improving its management structure, procuring new equipment, and computerizing and networking key divisions of the hospital. Cambridge Consulting Corporation of McLean, Virginia was competitively selected to make the recommendations and develop the addendums to strengthen, clarify and update KNH's five-year rolling strategic plan to comply with new regulations of the Kenya Ministry of Health.

Nigeria: Hospital Development – The Hospital Company Ltd. (THC) received a $284,215 grant to partially fund investment analysis on the development of a private hospital project in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The Nigerian project sponsors proposed to develop, construct, equip, and operate a 135-bed hospital, out-patient clinic, and medical office building complex to offer advanced health care services in the underdeveloped and oil-rich delta region. The USTDA-funded study examined the technical and economic viability of the proposed hospital project, analyzed potential site locations, and investigated potential financial mechanisms. The Peoples Group of Arlington (TPG), Virginia conducted the study and contributed additional resources towards its completion. Since that time, TPG has stayed in contact with THC monitoring progress and providing further advice and counsel to THC physician principals as they work to begin implementation of the medical facilities complex.