David Opedun

Health Professional , Public, Private & NGO Partnership in Health Care

Johannesburg, South Africa

District Health Systems(DHS)Management Professional with interest & experience in applied community child health, research, training and nutrition interventions. Interested in working with Development Partnerships for Africa, UN institutions,USA,Canada & China based Universities,Research institutions and NGOs.A community developer. Available for outreach travel & relocation if required to do so.

Contact David Opedun
Area of Expertise:
  • Health, Doctors, Nurses, HIV/AIDS
Professional Experience:

Dr Opedun is an experienced Health Services Manager, Researcher & Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Project Manager and Clinician. He has significant experience in the development,implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health care solutions which support horizontal and vertical integration of health programmes and projects within the context of the District Health System(DHS).He worked in a well functioning District Health Management & Clinical referral team and he significantly contributed to sustainable Child Health Development through applied community based child health research, staff & student training in conformity with the WHO/UNICEF, National & Regional consensus recommendations.Dr Opedun participated in the training of trainers (TOTs) and facility based health service provider training programmes for Integrated Management of Childhood Illness(IMCI). The training programme emphasised IMCI standard case management,IMCI supervision and support and the household and community component of IMCI.In addition, Dr Opedun participated in the implementation of the WHO ten steps for in-patient management of severe malnutrition within the context of a comprehensive National Integrated Nutrition Programme (INP).Since 2009, Dr Opedun has been developing project management, community based research and vocational training strategies.

Education:

Dr David Opedun obtained a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.Ch.B) Medical degree in 1990 and thereafter a Masters Degree in Maternal & Child Health, MPhil(MCH) in 1997.The MPhil(MCH) programme content focused on Health Management principles based on the District Health System(DHS) & principles and practice of Primary Health Care(PHC).In addition,he trained and participated in Integrated Management Of Childhood Illness training programmes from 2002 - 2006, with emphasis on the five main disease conditions which comprise the IMCI Strategy i.e. Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Malnutrition,Malaria & Measles in accordance with the WHO/UNICEF & World Bank recommendations & interventions. Projections based on the 1996 analysis, the Global Burden of disease, indicated that these conditions will continue to be major contributors to child deaths by the year 2020 unless significantly greater efforts are made to control them ( Murray CJL and Lopez AD. The Global burden of Disease: A comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Geneva, World Health Organisation, 1996). The World Bank's Development Report 1993,Investing in Health, identified integrated management of the sick child as the intervention likely to have the greatest impact on the global burden of disease. Besides, Dr Opedun has extensive experience in supporting health & Nutrition interventions & programmes in health facilities within the context of the District Health System(DHS).Since 2009,Dr Opedun has been actively developing strategies for project management,community based Health & Development Research, vocational training,sustainable community development, monitoring and evaluation & will be registering for Phd studies in Project Management.

Affiliations and Achievements:

Dr Opedun will be affiliated to: 1. The World Innovation Summit on Education (WISE). 2.The Clinton Global Initiative(CGI). 3. Bill & Mellinda Gates Foundation.4. Trinity International Development Initiative Annual Research Programme.5. The Global Partnership for Education. 6. Rotary Club International.7. Individuals, Philantrophic organisations & Foundations which support Youth and Community Development. Dr Opedun's achievements include: 1. Conducting a situational analysis and a survey which substantiated the technical basis for implementation of the WHO guidelines for the case management of Acute Respiratory Infections(ARI) in children through a Masters Degree project Dissertation for the MPhil(MCH) at the University Of Cape Town in 1997,( World Health Organisation. Technical bases for the WHO recommendations on the management of pneumonia in children at first level facilities. WHO document WHO/ARI/91.20 WHO Geneva, 1991) 2. Supporting and implementing the WHO/UNICEF guidelines which contributed to improvement of child health services and child survival. In order to appraise the effectiveness of pneumonia case management strategy in improving child survival, a meta-analysis of six published trials which were conducted in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India(2 studies),Nepal and Tanzania was performed. The studies were conducted in settings with Infant mortality rates(IMR) of at least 90 per 1000 live births. The reduction in mortality rate (control group minus intervention group) was estimated for each study and all the studies together. The reduction in Acute Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRI) mortality ranged from 4.7 to 40.3 per 1000 live births. The pooled odds ratio estimates were consistent with a reduction of 53% in ALRI- specific mortality among 1-4 year old children. Oral rehydration therapy therapy was shown to reduce mortality by 1-14% and measles immunisation by 20%. Thus by comparison, pneumonia case management should rank high on the list of child survival interventions.Areas with high IMRs may therefore require more intensive education and a longer period of intervention to achieve a substantial effect.(Sazawal S, Black RE. Meta Analysis of intervention trials on case management of pneumonia in community settings. Lancet 1992; 340,:528-533).3.Effective operational health management, budgeting, grant utilisation, transparent monitoring, team building and Board management 4.Improvement of health service standards & facilitation of service elements accreditation.

Available for:

  • Job opportunities

Years of Experience:

More than 20 years

Highest Qualification:

Masters

Languages:

English, Swahili

Nationality:

South Africa

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