INCLEN comprises health specialists concerned with the availability, effectiveness and efficiency of health care in their home countries. Created in 1980 as a project of The Rockefeller Foundation, INCLEN has been an independent non-profit organization since 1988.

For 21 years INCLEN has helped clinicians and other scientists obtain the knowledge and tools to improve the health of people in the developing world. Through carefully designed training and other support, INCLEN helps them critically to assess the factors that determine the most effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Today our membership includes 82 clinical epidemiology units (CEUs) in 34 countries throughout the world. The multi-disciplinary faculty includes clinical epidemiologists, health social scientists, biostatisticians, and clinical economists, each of whom believes that fighting disease in an age of limited financial resources depends on integrating the principles of clinical epidemiology into his or her own practice.

INCLEN provides a forum for researchers to discuss critical health issues through educational programs, global meetings, and an international communications network. It supports young researchers and provides network members opportunities to participate in collaborative clinical studies. As a partnership of clinicians and health scientists who are trained to use and produce the best possible evidence in their medical decision making, INCLEN can have a profound impact on health care practices globally.

June 1, 2000 • INCLEN Trust Overview • INCLEN Trust, Challenges & Directions • INCLEN Trust Program Activities
Because it's time…

"INCLEN is undertaking major changes… Central to these changes is the principle that an organization that is dedicated to the improvement of the health in the developing world is appropriately guided by leaders from the developing world." - D.W. Fraser	A quiet revolution is taking place in INCLEN. In the landmark "Cuernavaca decision" of February 4, 2000, the INCLEN, Inc. Board of Directors, together with the regional CLEN presidents, agreed that it was time for the INCLEN faculty to take charge of INCLEN's course in the 21st century. Hence at the INCLEN XVII Global Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, INCLEN will move into a bold new phase in its growth: the launching of The INCLEN Trust. As Dr. David Fraser writes in his summation and farewell as INCLEN Executive Director, the establishment of The INCLEN Trust is a major step in the implementation of INCLEN's Strategic Plan (1999 - 2000): empowerment and leadership by INCLEN faculty from developing countries, and regionalization as a more appropriate governance structure for the growing network of ~500 faculty from 6 regions. The Trust will also accelerate the shift of research and training activities from the North to the South, even as it widens opportunities for development and fund-raising. The "Original Founders" of The Trust consist of three representatives from the INCLEN, Inc. Board of Directors (the current Chair, Dr. Claire Bombardier, Dr. Nelson Sewankambo and Dr. Marcel Tanner) and the 6 regional CLEN presidents/coordinators (Dr. William Macharia-Africa; Dr. Wang Jialiang-China; Dr. Francois Chapuis-Europe-Mediterranean; Dr. A.M. Cherian-India; Dr. Patricia Clark-Latin America; and Dr. Pyatat Tatsanavivat-Southeast Asia). The proposed Original Founders met at the INCLEN Executive Office in Philadelphia last May 15 - 16, 2000 to finalize the Trust Deed and to lay out strategies and next steps in preparation for the launching of the INCLEN Trust during the INCLEN XVII Global Meeting in October 2000.
Salient Features of the Trust: Semi-autonomous regional networks South-South collaboration South-North collaboration Inter-organization partner- ships National and regional resource mobilization	In addition to the Original Founders, there will be "Associate Founders", which may be NGOs, governments or other agencies that have contributed substantially to the pursuit of the Trust's goals and objectives. This participation is deemed as important in the context of the renewed spirit of partnership and collaboration in the new Trust. The Board of Governors, which will be the highest policy-making body of the Trust, will consist of the CEU and CERTC directors, the regional CLEN presidents or coordinators, 3 members of the Board of Directors of INCLEN, Inc., and a representative from each Associate Founder. The Board of Trustees will be directly responsible for long-term policy and financial guidance of the Trust and will oversee its management. There will be 9 - 15 trustees, with each Original Founder appointing one Trustee, INCLEN, Inc. up to three, and others to be selected by the Board of Governors. A Management Committee, consisting of the chief executive officer and senior staff members, will manage the day-to-day affairs of the Trust. It is envisioned that the Trust will be registered in a developing country. Investigations on the feasibility of registration are underway in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with October as the target date for completion of registration. At the same time, a 6-person Search Committee has been constituted by the INCLEN, Inc. Board, with Dr. Bom- bardier as its chair. This Committee will recommend to the Board a short list of candidates for the executive director position. The new executive director is expected to establish the head office of the INCLEN Trust by 2001. In the interim, Drs. Rodolfo Dennis and Mary Ann Lansang, operating from Bogotá, Colombia and Manila, Philippines, respectively, will be acting co-executive directors of INCLEN, Inc. They will be supported by the IEO in Philadelphia, which will continue normal operations until June 2001.
Frequently Asked Questions about the INCLEN Trust
Aside from the new governance structure, what new thrusts might we expect from the INCLEN Trust?	The goal of the Trust is to improve the health of the populations of developing countries by promoting health care based on the best evidence of effectiveness and the efficient use of resources. While the Trust will continue to strive for excellence in institutional capacity, there will also be emphasis given to relevance in research and health professional education in developing countries, and widening partnerships and collaboration at the national, regional and global levels. Some of the key areas for action would be innovations in research capacity strengthening, improved responsiveness to local and national research priorities, better links to health policy and action, and better dissemination and application of the best evidence.
Will INCLEN, Inc. be dissolved and give way to the Trust?	No, INCLEN, Inc. is a registered not-for-profit organization in the United States that has a 501(c)(3) status. This allows donations from U.S.-based donors to be tax-exempt. It is expected that when the Trust is launched, INCLEN, Inc. will gradually reduce its operations to the minimum required to ensure continuing support of the Trust's activities. A Memorandum of Understanding will be drawn up to ensure congruence of goals, complementarity of roles and a smooth flow of funds between the Trust and INCLEN, Inc.
How will the new governance structure affect our CEU and the regional networks?	The CEUs have a voice in the governance of the Trust through the Board of Governors. As the CEUs select the president/coordinator of their respective regional CLENs, the CEUs also have a say in the performance of the Board of Trustees. This democratization comes with new responsibilities for the CLENs and CEUs: a more active role in program planning for their respective regions, pro-active roles in advocacy and fund-raising, and greater accountability in the achievement of targets and the use of resources.
Does the INCLEN Trust have sufficient resources to pursue its mandate?	With judicious use of the current resources in INCLEN, Inc., the Trust is expected to have a margin of 3 more years of operation. Improved strategies for development efforts at the national, regional and global levels are expected to sustain the Network beyond the 3-year horizon.