History
AFREhealth is an interdisciplinary health professional forum which seeks to improve health care in Africa through research, education and capacity building. The Initiative was launched by the joint leadership of MEPI (Medical Education Partnership Initiative) and NEPI (Nursing Education Partnership Initiative)during the MEPI/NEPI Symposium in Nairobi on 2nd August 2016 through adoption of the Nairobi Resolution on AFREhealth. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). MEPI’s main objective was to support medical health manpower training and research capacity development in sub-Saharan Africa. 5-year grant awards were made to thirteen medical schools in twelve sub-Saharan African countries and to a Coordinating Center (CC).MEPI led by African PIs in 13 schools and 12 countries. It comprised a matrix of 32 African (13 prime grantees and 29 consortium partners) and 20 US partner institutions formed to improve quality of medical education, strengthen research capacity and promote retention of health professionals and faculty against the backdrop of the dire human resources for health need in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the first MEPI network meeting in Johannesburg (7-10 March 2011) the African MEPI PIs came together to form a PI Council as a leadership group to contribute to the implementation of MEPI. NEPI was implemented by ICAP at Columbia University. It is part of HRSA’s Global Nursing Capacity Building Program and aims to promote sustainable control of the HIV epidemic by addressing shortfalls in the number, quality, and capacity of nurses and midwives. NEPI has been implemented in Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo. Over the life of the project, the MEPI program has effected vibrant and transforming changes at beneficiary medical schools in sub-Saharan Africa. It has also benefited nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists in multidisciplinary training institutions. The curricular changes and service provision in HIV/AIDS have been significant and have made a major contribution to the realization of an AIDS free generation.The resources provided by the project played a catalytic role in launching new programs and re-energizing pre-existing ones in the schools. Innovations include: transformation of teaching and learning environments through curricula reviews, information and communications technology (ICT) capacity improvements; new pedagogic approaches supported by new medical education units; improvement in research capacity of faculty and students; creation of new research support centers; community based education; improved faculty retention aided by partnerships with governments and better teaching and research resources. NEPI has also achieved successes by improving access to nursing education, curricular reforms, faculty development and increasing institutional capacity.
