Be-cause health has been created in 2004 as an informal and pluralistic platform. Be-cause health connects institutional and individual members from the following categories:
- Belgian academic institutes, services, schools for public health.
- Belgian medical (and related) development organisations, NGOs and study bureaus.
- Government services involved in medical development cooperation and international healthcare.
- Organisations and associations for whom development cooperation is not necessarily a priority, but whose mandates overlap with international healthcare.
- Partnerorganisations in the South.
An important aspect is that individuals, involved in international healthcare and active in a Belgian context, can also be a part of this platform. This includes employees of Belgian organisations and institutes, development workers, management of partner organisations, alumni, individuals active in international organisations, immigrants involved in development cooperation, experts, etc. in brief anyone directly or indirectly involved in international health issues. Be-cause health is sent to about 400 people linked to approximately 50 organisations and institutes.
Partnership and alliances
The Federation was founded in 1995 at Hamburg during the first European Congress on Tropical Medicine. Thirteen European countries are currently represented on the Federation Council by their respective national societies. Read more at www.festmih.eu. Be-cause health is a member of FESTMIH.
At European level, we cooperate furthermore with the following European networks and alliances through Be-cause health member organisations and Be-cause health working groups:
- Medicus Mundi International – MMI (Geneva);
- SHARE-NET, Dutch SRHR platform, Netherlands
- European Alliance for Asset Management
At a Belgian level, Be-cause health is linked to the following networks and groups:
- Gezondheid & Solidariteit / Santé & Solidarité
- QUAMED – experts working on access to quality medicines
- ANSER – Academic Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy
- Educaid – Belgian platform on education and development
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