Newsletter April 30

 

Home Relevant Literature The SAMSS Project Resources and Links Contact Events   SAMSS Newsletter, April 30, 2010   Dear Colleague,   The Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) tracks innovations in medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa.  This Newsletter and the website http://samss.org are designed to raise awareness about issues related to medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Using this information, policymakers, donors and medical educators can make informed decisions that will strengthen their health systems.   In this issue:   The African Medical Education Symposium (AMES) 2010 The 2010 African Medical Education Symposium (AMES), held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from April 17 to 19 brought together key leaders in African medical education, health policy, and health system strengthening from academia, government, NGOs, foundations, and global health initiatives.  The purpose of the symposium was to address issues related to capacity building, accountability, sustainability, and retention in medical education in Africa.  The event featured the first reports from systematic medical school site visits and a continental survey of medical schools done by the Sub-Saharan African Medical School Study (SAMSS).  Also featured were six Gates Foundation funded learning partnerships between African and American medical schools and reports from a number of innovations from countries and schools in regard to medical education, post graduate medical education, e-learning, and accreditation.  Presentations highlighted collaborative efforts toward improved quality of education, institutional innovations for faculty and graduate retention, and models of problem-based and community-based curricula. Participants acknowledged that accountable medical education is taking place in Africa, and stressed the need to demonstrate a link between medial education and the health of communities through evidence-based research.  Wide support was found for the revitalization of an African Medical Schools Association, which would link medical schools to enable collaboration with other health professions AFRO (WHO), the African Union, ministers of health, education, and finance, heads of State, and technical and donor partners.  The group judged such an organization essential to promoting the vital work of producing high-quality medical professionals in numbers sufficient to improve the health of Africa’s peoples. AMES 2010 was sponsored by the MOH and MOE of Tanzania, SAMSS, MUHAS, HKMU, ACHEST, IAFPRESS, NEPAD, GHWA, WHO, and BMGF. More information and presentations from the symposium can be found here.     The National Institute of Health in collaboration with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has announced a new initiative to strengthen medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa.  This program supports PEPFAR’s goal to increase the number of new health care workers by 140,000.  The Medical Education Partnership Initiative will also strengthen host-country medical education systems and enhance clinical and research capacity in Africa. V.C. Burch et al, compare the retention rates and academic performances of academically at risk students in the Academic Development Programme (ADP) and the Problem-based Learning programme (PBL) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.  In a preliminary analysis the authors find that PBL programme may improve retention rates and academic performance of academically at risk students more than the extended traditional programme. Fatu Yumkella in a technical brief discusses the challenge of worker retention in the human resource for health (HRH) crisis.  The brief highlights contributions made in the area of worker retention between 2005 and 2008.   Sincerely,      Francis Omaswa, MBCHB, MMed, FRCS, FCS Executive Director, African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation Co-Chair, SAMSS Advisory Committee     Fitzhugh Mullan, MD The George Washington University Principal Investigator, SAMSS   Seble Frehywot, MD, MHSA The George Washington University Co-Principal Investigator, SAMSS   On behalf of the SAMSS Advisory Committee       Professor Francis Omaswa presents at AMES 2010     SAMSS Advisory Committee Magdalena Awases PhD, MA, HMPP, RN Charles Boelen MD, MPH, MSc Mohenou Isidore Jean-Marie Diomande MD Dela Dovlo MB Ch.B, MPH, MWACP Diaa Eldin Elgaili Abubakr MD Josefo João Ferro MD Abraham Halieamlak MD Jehu Iputo MBChB, PhD Marian Jacobs MBChB Abdel Karim Koumaré MD, MPH Mwapatsa Mipando MSc, PhD Gottlieb Monekosso MD, DSc, FRCP, FWACP, DTMEH Emiola Oluwabunmi Olapade-Olaopa MD,. FRCS, FWACS Francis Omaswa MBCHB, MMed, FRCS, FCS Paschalis Rugarabamu DDS, MDent Nelson K. Sewankambo MBChB, M.Sc, M.Med, FRCP               A doctor in training (center) from the University of Gezira, Sudan learns from an experienced nurse midwife (right) and a practicing doctor (right) at a rural health center        The Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study The SAMSS secretariat is located at The George Washington University Department of Health Policy. SAMSS is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.