Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT)

About KIT (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen)

The institute supports & studies Dutch Colonies through research within the following themes:

• Tropical agriculture
• Health
• Culture

Focus on:

• Sustainable development
• Global health
• Gender equality
• Intercultural cooperation

KIT works with governments, NGO’s, international agencies like WHO, UNDP, FAO and private sector partners.

KIT consists of:

• ‘institute’(research)
• ‘intercultural professionals’ (training and consultancy)
• ‘SDG House’ (hosts 50+ organizations and focusses on UN Sustainable Development Goals)

Collaborations with GHH-partners

• Amref Health Africa: strengthening operational-research capacity for multiple programs. Technical partner in ‘Power to You(th)' and ‘Yes I Do’-alliance.
• Rutgers: co-implementer in both ‘Power to You(th)’ and ‘Yes I Do’
• HealthNet TPO: co-organizer health-system symposium in Afghanistan. Working together in SHARP consortium in South Sudan.
• Cordaid: SHARP, partner in evaluation of PBF (Performance Based Financing) across Africa.
• KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation: collaborator in KIT’s global health ecosystem events, engagement in ‘Health & Prosperity’ conference'.
• Aidsfonds: ‘Health & Prosperity’
• Philips: Private sector partner in ‘Health & Prosperity’
• Delft Imaging: ‘Health & Prosperity’
• AIGHD: network connection: UvA describes a consortium that includes KIT & KNCV.
• Save the Children: ECHO-funded research project with KIT: ‘Lessons learned: Assessing responses to survivors of sexual violence in humanitarian settings’

Overview of characteristics

Active in countries

• Afghanistan: Disaster Impact Mapping (DIM) for health facilities, health facility preparedness research, EPI data-quality improvement
• South Sudan:
  • SHARP: South Sudan Health Action & Research Project,
  • Health Pooled Fund Support: strengthening government capacity for basic health needs
  •  A3-SEED (accelerating agri in South Sudan)
• Ethiopia:
  • living income benchmark coffee farmers - by measuring income and proposing interventions to close income gaps
  • Gender strategy Holeta Agri College: training in field of commercial agriculture with development of gender strategy as integral part.
  • Female leadership program: assessment of position of female faculty & affirmative action policies in universities -> a leadership program aimed at female leadership as follow up
• Nigeria:
  • HortiNigeria: aims to narrow gap between local demand for vegetables and supply, by transforming & accelerating development of sustainable and inclusive horti sector. Food & nutrition security in rural communities & alleviating poverty.
  • Nutrition-sensitive value chains: developing & testing approach, tools and methods to carry out Nutrition Sensitive Value Chain Analysis. To support IFAD funded Climate Change & Agribusiness Support Program (CASP).
  • Sexual violence in humanitarian settings: aims to increase actors to identify and respond to needs & rights of sexual violence-survivors and aims to improve availability of services for these survivors.
• Yemen, Haiti: Sexual violence in humanitarian settings: see Nigeria.
• Congo, Chad, Mali, Niger: Health Workforce planning technical assistance – KIT designs & implements tech assistance to strengthen health workforce planning (right people right place)
• Rwanda, Tanzania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria: surveys & system analyses for AGRA (Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa) PIATA program (Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa)
• Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Panama, Peru, Uganda, Zambia: ‘needs assessment’ to inform FIGO’s safe-abortion advocacy project. Focused on views about abortion advocacy; to increase capacity of national obstetrics and gynecology that lead to safe (advocacy) work.

Community of Practice (CoP):

CoP1 strengthening health systems (Co lead)

Themes and subthemes within CoP

Main theme CoP1: strengthening global health (systems) via;

• International coherence & multilateral cooperation
• Improved access to primary health care & SRHR

KIT’s focus:

• International coherence & multilateral cooperation: leads, advises & supports health system redesign in LMIC’s
• Improved access to primary health care & SRHR: research, capacity building, interventions (Break Free! project)

Organization type:

Knowledge institute, research center

Available resources

• Knowledge & expertise:
  • Health Systems Strengthening team that works on co-creating knowledge, building research capacity and offering technical advice
  • Hosting courses & master programs focused on health system strengthening, health policy & financing
• Networks:
  • See project list in multiple countries; partners with governments, NGO’s, international organizations to improve health systems and quality of health services
• Influence/agenda-setting power:
  • Involvement in ‘Strategic initiative for health workforce planning’ -> advisory role
• Financial leverage:
  • KIT secures & implements donor-funded health-systems projects
• Coordination & platform capability:
  • KIT offers programs & platforms that bring together professionals, practitioners & policymakers.

Contact information

Website:

• KIT