Countries change tack in push for radical healthcare reforms

Health regulators in Africa have resolved to push for reforms using a four-pronged approach adopted at a continental meeting that ended in Ghana yesterday.

Key among their priorities is to push for a speedy realisation of universal health coverage, building on a newly agreed framework for information exchange and training collaboration. They are equally pushing for better funding to the sector. Representatives of 22 countries at the forum convened by the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) were unanimous that setbacks in the sector are complex and cross-cutting and therefore require a combined effort to address.

AMOCIA is a grouping of medical regulatory authorities whose roles includes protection of public interest by promoting high standards of medical education, registration and regulation. The five-day meeting graced by Ghanaian Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia unveiled three protocols on undergraduate medical education, internship training and specialty training, with August 2019 being set for full implementation.

“By August next year, we should have hit the ground running,” said Mr Daniel Yumbya, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board CEO, who together with board chairman George Magoha represented Kenya. Prof Magoha is also the outgoing AMCOA president.

The protocols, among other things, spell out minimum requirements for those wishing to purse careers in the sector. The agreements will require countries to adjust their training curriculum to conform to a common design in all countries. The system will also see medical students undertake internships in any country while quality and regulation will be standardised.   

“The aim of AMCOA members in embarking in educational and training processes for specialty medical and dental trainees is to produce a caring, ethical, competent, knowledgeable, life-long learner with appropriate skills and attitudes to meet health challenges of the continent,” according to one of the protocols read by Sunday Standard.

“Rather than just focus on college-based training, we have agreed on an efficient plan that will see trainees patched up with practising professionals who would train them on the job at their places of work. A team of trainers will be identified,” Yumbya told Sunday Standard.

The meeting shared views on legislation, licensing and information and was themed “changing landscape in medical training and education”. An efficient training regime, participants noted, is key to better health services for Africa’s 1.216 billion people, majority of whom are poor.

More investment

Dr Khama Rogo, a health sector specialist with the World Bank, urged countries to scale up investments in mid and low level service providers.Countries represented at the talks included Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mauritius among others. Malaria, HIV and Aids and high maternal mortality are top among Africa’s woes.

“Of the 20 countries with the highest maternal mortality ratios, 19 are in Africa; and the region has the highest neonatal death rate in the world,” according to the WHO.