Public private partnership in in-service training of physicians: the millennium development goal 6-partnership for African clinical training (M-PACT) approach

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 29; no. 77; p. 77
• Main Authors: Oleribe, Obinna Ositadimma, Salako, Babatunde Lawal, Akpalu, Albert, Anteyi, Emmanuel, Ka, Mamadou Mourtalla, Deen, Gibrilla, Akande, Temilola, Abellona U, Mei Ran, Lemoine, Maud, McConnochie, Mairi, Foster, Matthew, Walker, Richard, Taylor-Robinson, Simon David, Jawad, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda African Field Epidemiology Network 2018; The African Field Epidemiology Network; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Africa, Western; AIDS; continuous professional development; Curriculum; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Education, Medical, Continuing - methods; Educational Measurement; Epidemics; Female; Humans; in-service training; Inservice Training - methods; Male; Physicians - standards; postgraduate medical education; public-private partnership; Public-Private Sector Partnerships; Quality Improvement; Shortages; Social responsibility; Togo; United Kingdom > UK; Senegal; West Africa; Africa; Sierra Leone; Ghana; Nigeria; postgraduate medical education; public-private partnership; Continuous professional development; in-service training
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2018.29.77.14480

in-service training of healthcare workers is essential for improving healthcare services and outcome. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 Partnership for African Clinical Training (M-PACT) program was an innovative in-service training approach designed and implemented by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and West African College of Physicians (WACP) with funding from Eco Bank Foundation. The goal was to develop sustainable capacity to tackle MDG 6 targets in West Africa through better postgraduate medical education. Five training centres were establised: Nigeria (Abuja, Ibadan), Ghana (Accra), Senegal (Dakar) and Sierra Leone (Freetown) for training 681 physicians from across West Africa. A curriculum jointly designed by the RCP-WACP team was used to deliver biannual 5-day training courses over a 3-year period. Of 602 trained in clinical medicine, 358 (59.5%) were males and 535 (88.9%) were from hosting countries. 472 (78.4%) of participants received travel bursaries to participate, while 318 (52.8%) were residents in Internal Medicine in the respective institutions. Accra had the highest number of participants (29.7%) followed by Ibadan, (28.7%), Dakar, (24.9%), Abuja, (11.0%) and Freetown, (5.6%). Pre-course clinical knowledge scores ranged from 35.1% in the Freetown Course to 63.8% in Accra Course 1; whereas post-course scores ranged from 50.5% in the Freetown course to 73.8% in Accra course 1. M-PACT made a positive impact to quality and outcome of healthcare services in the region and is a model for continued improvement for healthcare outcomes, e.g malaria, HIV and TB incidence and mortality in West Africa.