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?

www.amrefcanada.orginfo@amrefcanada.org

(416) 961-6981

Twitter: @AMREFCanadaFacebook: amrefcanada

STAY IN TOUCH