1. Health Professional Training and Capacity Strengthening Through International Academic Partnerships: The First Five Years of the Human Resources for Health Program in Rwanda.
- Author
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Cancedda C, Cotton P, Shema J, Rulisa S, Riviello R, Adams LV, Farmer PE, Kagwiza JN, Kyamanywa P, Mukamana D, Mumena C, Tumusiime DK, Mukashyaka L, Ndenga E, Twagirumugabe T, Mukara KB, Dusabejambo V, Walker TD, Nkusi E, Bazzett-Matabele L, Butera A, Rugwizangoga B, Kabayiza JC, Kanyandekwe S, Kalisa L, Ntirenganya F, Dixson J, Rogo T, McCall N, Corden M, Wong R, Mukeshimana M, Gatarayiha A, Ntagungira EK, Yaman A, Musabeyezu J, Sliney A, Nuthulaganti T, Kernan M, Okwi P, Rhatigan J, Barrow J, Wilson K, Levine AC, Reece R, Koster M, Moresky RT, O'Flaherty JE, Palumbo PE, Ginwalla R, Binanay CA, Thielman N, Relf M, Wright R, Hill M, Chyun D, Klar RT, McCreary LL, Hughes TL, Moen M, Meeks V, Barrows B, Durieux ME, McClain CD, Bunts A, Calland FJ, Hedt-Gauthier B, Milner D, Raviola G, Smith SE, Tuteja M, Magriples U, Rastegar A, Arnold L, Magaziner I, and Binagwaho A
- Subjects
- Developing Countries, Faculty, Financial Management, Humans, Rwanda, Students, United States, Capacity Building, Government Programs, Health Personnel education, Health Workforce, International Cooperation, Organizations, Schools
- Abstract
Background: The Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program (HRH Program) is a 7-year (2012-2019) health professional training initiative led by the Government of Rwanda with the goals of training a large, diverse, and competent health workforce and strengthening the capacity of academic institutions in Rwanda., Methods: The data for this organizational case study was collected through official reports from the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH) and 22 participating US academic institutions, databases from the MoH and the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) in Rwanda, and surveys completed by the co-authors., Results: In the first 5 years of the HRH Program, a consortium of US academic institutions has deployed an average of 99 visiting faculty per year to support 22 training programs, which are on track to graduate almost 4600 students by 2019. The HRH Program has also built capacity within the CMHS by promoting the recruitment of Rwandan faculty and the establishment of additional partnerships and collaborations with the US academic institutions., Conclusion: The milestones achieved by the HRH Program have been substantial although some challenges persist. These challenges include adequately supporting the visiting faculty; pairing them with Rwandan faculty (twinning); ensuring strong communication and coordination among stakeholders; addressing mismatches in priorities between donors and implementers; the execution of a sustainability strategy; and the decision by one of the donors not to renew funding beyond March 2017. Over the next 2 academic years, it is critical for the sustainability of the 22 training programs supported by the HRH Program that the health-related Schools at the CMHS significantly scale up recruitment of new Rwandan faculty. The HRH Program can serve as a model for other training initiatives implemented in countries affected by a severe shortage of health professionals., (© 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)
- Published
- 2018
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