Training Health
Workers,Saving Lives
AMREF Coffeehouse Speakers Series on global development
December 2012
•3,000 + children die of malaria every day•177,000 women died in pregnancy or childbirth in 2010
Illnesses and deaths are largely preventable with access to health care
LIVES LOST
Source: World Health Organization
•Africa bears 25% of the world’s ‘burden’ of disease
•Has only 3% of the world’s health workers
•Has only 1% of global health expenditure
•Significant shortage of trained health care workers – facilities 50% understaffed
•Crisis in remote and rural areas
Outcome: poor health, illness, and death
PROBLEM
That every African can enjoy the right
to good health
AMREF’S GOAL
“Creating vibrant networks of informed and empowered
communities and health care providers working together in strong health care systems.”
HOW?
•Thousands of nurses, midwives, doctors and others ready to be trained.•Traditional classroom-based training would take hundreds of years (literally!), and take health care workers out of the community
CHALLENGE
eLearning:
the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge, including
web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classroom opportunities
and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet,
intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-
paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation,
streaming video and audio
SOLUTION
BACKGROUND•2005 to 2011
•AMREF, Ministry of Health, nursing regulatory body, Accenture
•Goal: 22,000 ‘enrolled’ nurses who needed skills upgraded to ‘registered nurse’
•Traditional classroom training: limit of 100 nurses/year
NURSES’ TRAINING: Kenya
PURPOSE:•Upgrade nurses’ skills in shorter timeframe while allowing them to continue working
•Build on AMREF’s training expertise by moving to IT-based solutions
•Use the lessons learned to replicate eLearning in other African countries
NURSES’ TRAINING: Kenya
COMPUTER CENTRES
SUCCESSES:By 2011:
•More than 8,000 nurses enrolled
•More than 4,500 graduated
•Nurses able to upgrade skills while continuing to care for patients
•Financial support for nurses through special loan program
NURSES’ TRAINING: Kenya
•Difficulty setting up computer centres
•Participants had little knowledge of computers
•Lack of consistent Internet access, particularly remote areas
•Unreliable electricity
CHALLENGES
A NURSE’S EXPERIENCEAnne’s Experience:
•Able to work while training
• Can now treat patients independent of doctor (even notices mistakes by doctors!)
•Financial challengesAnne KameneKangundo Hospital, Eastern Province
• Uganda: eLearning to upgrade midwives
•Tanzania: eLearning to upgrade nurses
•Additional programs in: Zanzibar, Senegal, Lesotho, Zambia
ROLL OUT
How mobile phones can be used in health worker training
•Increase access to eLearning for midwives and nurses
•Provide access to reference materials (e.g. guidelines)
•Offer peer learning for nurses and midwives in remote areas
WHAT’S NEXT?
(416) 961-6981
Twitter: @AMREFCanadaFacebook: amrefcanada
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