International Affairs Unit

The International Affairs Unit at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is a non-profit consultancy unit specialising in health and social sector development. The unit has primary competencies in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development processes and programs in transitional economies and developing countries. Through the use of its expert services, the team has been involved in over 150 projects in 40 countries worldwide. In addition, the unit coordinates the international advocacy of THL.

THL is hosting the Secretariat of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), which is dedicated to developing, strengthening, and linking National Public Health Institutes in low-resource countries to improve public health service delivery and global decision-making.

Expertise

Systems development

• Social and health care policy development, strategies  and legislation
• Reforms of social security and health care systems
• Information and monitoring systems
• Social security and health care financing

Fields of expertise

• Social protection
• Public health
• Children and families
• Mental health and substance abuse
• Health promotion and disease prevention
• Non-communicable diseases
• HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections
• Curriculum development for health and social sector personnel
• Disability
• Multisectoral network based service provision

Services

Expert services and development co-operation

Technical assistance to projects and programmes:

• Project identification, planning, monitoring and evaluation
• Project implementation, management services, consulting and training

Good practices and methods