The El-Tal El-Kebir Story: An example of social accountability from Egypt

Background: In 1985, the Faculty of Medicine at Suez Canal University responded to a request from the people of El-Tal El-Kebir, a district in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to assist them in addressing their poor health statistics. After an initial visit, the team realized that any long-term solution in dealing with and improving their community health problems needed a true inter-sectoral collaborative approach, with the involvement of other sectors such as agriculture, veterinary medicine, and education. The team also realized that establishing a true partnership with the community as well as the local governmental agencies was indispensible in order to maintain any long-term effects. Aims: In this article, we will describe how the medical school mobilized other sectors to improve the community health. Methods: The methodology adopted during this example of providing community outreach services was concordant with the principles of social accountability, which was later described by the World Health Organization. Results: Our multi-sectoral team has established several projects for enhancing community participation in solving their own health problems. Conclusion: Medical schools can lead a community development project in collaboration with the community.