2006 Volume 21 Issue 1 Pages 13-17
[Background] Japan Overseas Volunteer Cooperation (JOCV) pharmacists have been sent to Malawi. There were two big reasons. One was there were no colleges to train pharmacist. When people want to be pharmacists, they have to go to abroad to have education. However many of them never come back to Malawi after finishing the course. Thus a lack of pharmacists was severe. And almost pharmacy staffs were untrained. Another was medicines had been stolen by insiders. At that time hospital in charge wanted to be managed by credible outsiders. I was also one of pharmacists in Malawi. However I often heard Japanese pharmacists were dull to be faced the rigid situation of Malawi health sector and the difficulties of mutual understanding even they had been full of hope. [Aim] The aims of this study were to explore the activities of Japanese pharmacist's volunteers in Malawi and to investigate our problems and solutions. [Method] Project cycle management (PCM) method was adopted. Participants were 10 members of the Malawi JOCV pharmacists committee. The JOCV volunteer coordinator and the JICA expert took part in this discussion as observers. Those statements were categorized into each category. [Results] Japanese pharmacists have had the clams and complaints against their missions. Their clams and complaints were separated to three. One was the problems of Malawi side, which were un-cleared Japanese pharmacists' position and insufficient infrastructure. Other was JOCV side, which was lack of communication with Malawian. And the other was both sides, which was an absence of mutual understanding. When we ignored these problems, the opportunities of international aids by pharmacists would be decrease. [Conclusion] According to the results, Malawi JOCV pharmacists committee recommended to JICA Malawi office reconsidering about sending pharmacist volunteers and made efforts to appeal their actions.
