About VAIGO/TROIE

VAIGO (Vereniging Artsen Internationale Gezondheidszorg in Opleiding) is in practice the trainee association TROIE: the association for doctors in training to become Medical Doctors in Global Health and Tropical Medicine (Arts Internationale Gezondheidszorg en Tropengeneeskunde, AIGT). TROIE represents AIGT trainees, safeguards the quality of the training, and connects them with each other and with the wider global health community.

Into the World is the activist / advocacy arm of TROIE and a joint working group of TROIE and NVTG. It was set up to raise public and political awareness of the role of AIGT doctors in global and Dutch health systems and to secure sustainable funding for the AIGT post-graduate training, notably through a national campaign and the book Into the World.

Mission:

  • Representing & supporting doctors in training (AIGT)
  • Strengthen quality and continuity of aigt training & funding
  • Contribute to better (public) health care in LMIC’s (Low- and middle-income countries) by building global medical workforce.

Focus areas:

  • Post-graduate training and professional development AIGT doctors
  • Advocacy & activism around global health & AIGT
  • Supporting quality of care and health-system strengthening

Collaborations with GHH-partners

  • NVTG (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Tropische geneeskunde & internationale gezondheidszorg): umbrella organization under which TROIE acts.
  • KCGH (Kenniscentrum Global Health): developed Linking Doctors together. A database connecting (para)medics, researchers, institutions and projects in global health. Organizes and supports events by TROIE
  • OIGT: Organizes AIGT training.
  • UMC Utrecht: developed four new e-learning modules by Julius Centre Global Health under CATAPULT project: Introduction to Public Health, Inroduction to Epidemiology, Global Reproductive, Maternal & Child Health, Evironmental Health.

Overview of characteristics

Active in countries

  • Netherlands: Core base – representation of AIGT trainees, advocacy for training funding, orTganisation of study days and activism.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa – Malawi, Tanzania: AIGT are placed in district & mission hospitals.
  • India: AIGT are placed in district & mission hospitals – low resource, with attention to public health & training.
  • Other LMIC’s: AIGT work in several countries under difficult circumstances (emergency teams, Médicins Sans Frontières). (source: Book Into the World)

Community Of practice (CoP)

CoP1: Strengthening Health Systems

Themes and subthemes within CoP

  • Capacity Building in global health: Representation and support of AIGT Trainees
  • Strengthening health services and public health in LMIC’s/epidemic response: AIGT placements in LMIC district- & mission hospitals, bridge between clinical / public health responses and epidemics in LMIC’s.
  • Advocacy & activism for sustainable global health systems: advocacy for structural funding of AIGT training, public communication & mobilization AIGT trainees, raising awareness about global health issues (migration, epidemics, cross-border health threats).
  • Networking/knowledge exchange in global health: Linking Doctors project

Organization type:

Jongerenorganisatie/vernieuwers/denktanks

Available resources

Knowledge & expertise

  • Frontline experience in LMIC’s: AIGT trainees are trained to work in diverse contexts worldwide, including limited resources, organizing services, supervising local staff, integrating public-health responses like epidemics in remote clinics)
  • Expertise in global health training: AIGT training by OIGT. Managing educational resources, study days.

Networks

  • Network of current AIGT Trainees & alumni
  • International placement of AIGT via training programme, creating relationships with local hospitals, governments and NGO’s.
  • Institutional triangle: NVTG-OIGT-KCGH, combining professional society, training institute and knowledge centre.
  • Digital networking tool: Linking Doctors & consult online 

Influencing power: advocacy & agenda setting

Advocacy track-record for structural training funding: Into the world campaign aimed at sustainable funding for AIGT programme.

Youth-led activism & communication in Global health: NVTG’s 2024 annual report describes into the world as focused on advocacy & activism.

Coordination & organizational capacity

Event organization & programmes: mandatory course-days, regular social and educational events for AIGT trainees. Together with KCGH, TROIE and into the World organize large public events like Global Health Inspiration Day ‘Dare to Act!’.

Digital platform management: Consult online, Linking Doctors.

Contact information VAIGO / TROIE

Website: