Table 1 Components of a successful link (Eastwood et al.)

1. Regular personal contact between individuals from both groups

2. Mutually agreed, locally relevant aims: clinical priorities, teaching programs, research objectives, staff development, or a mixture of all four

3. Clear written guidelines, preferably at the institutional level as to how the link will be fostered and supported

4. Acceptance that the scope of the collaboration will not be limited by the priorities of funding agencies in developed countries

5. Bilateral annual visits

6. Vision of a long collaboration (>10 years), not a transient one

7. Training of individuals from developing countries taking place in their own country as much as possible

8. Ability to respond to a changing environment at either end

9. Involvement of nurses and other health workers in the collaboration

10. Consider honorary contracts for individuals taking in established links; these can strength the links

11. Early planning as to means of securing future funding

12. Independence from commercial sources of funding, avoiding possible future conflicts of interest and maintaining ability to publish the results of research

13. Foster the development of other links and contribute to an international philosophy of links in general