Introducing The Change Exchange

The Change Exchange is a collaboration between The Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), University of Manchester and the Global Health Exchange.

Using theories, interventions and measures of behaviour and behaviour change they aim to assist UK healthcare professionals working collaboratively overseas to improve the training and performance of healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries.

In 2016 volunteer behavioural scientists will be placed in hospital departments or healthcare centres for 10 weeks in either Uganda, Ethiopia or Mozambique (expenses paid). They will consult on training projects that seek to improve the performance of the existing health workforce. They will provide expertise in theories, interventions and ways of evaluating change and therefore help health professionals make the changes necessary to strengthen local health systems.

Research support and ongoing supervision will be provided by the project leads, Drs Hart and Byrne-Davis, with their help of their collaborators in Manchester Implementation Science Collaboration: Professor Marie Johnston, Professor Chris Armitage and Dr Richard Emsley.

Dr Lucie Byrne-Davis told us: 'We are recruiting volunteers and this is a fantastic opportunity for people with behavioural science health, organisation, workforce experience to use their skills in a new contract, conduct research and establish, hopefully, long lasting collaborations. Anyone who is interested should e-mail [email protected] for more details.'