International Journal of Health Policy and Management (Nov 2018)
Health Professional Training and Capacity Strengthening Through International Academic Partnerships: The First Five Years of the Human Resources for Health Program in Rwanda
- Corrado Cancedda,
- Philip Cotton,
- Joseph Shema,
- Stephen Rulisa,
- Robert Riviello,
- Lisa V. Adams,
- Paul E. Farmer,
- Jeanne N. Kagwiza,
- Patrick Kyamanywa,
- Donatilla Mukamana,
- Chrispinus Mumena,
- David K. Tumusiime,
- Lydie Mukashyaka,
- Esperance Ndenga,
- Theogene Twagirumugabe,
- Kaitesi B. Mukara,
- Vincent Dusabejambo,
- Timothy D. Walker,
- Emmy Nkusi,
- Lisa Bazzett-Matabele,
- Alex Butera,
- Belson Rugwizangoga,
- Jean Claude Kabayiza,
- Simon Kanyandekwe,
- Louise Kalisa,
- Faustin Ntirenganya,
- Jeffrey Dixson,
- Tanya Rogo,
- Natalie McCall,
- Mark Corden,
- Rex Wong,
- Madeleine Mukeshimana,
- Agnes Gatarayiha,
- Egide Kayonga Ntagungira,
- Attila Yaman,
- Juliet Musabeyezu,
- Anne Sliney,
- Tej Nuthulaganti,
- Meredith Kiernan,
- Peter Okwi,
- Joseph Rhatigan,
- Jane Barrow,
- Kim Wilson,
- Adam C. Levine,
- Rebecca Reece,
- Michael Koster,
- Rachel T. Moresky,
- Jennifer E. O’Flaherty,
- Paul E. Palumbo,
- Rashna Ginwalla,
- Cynthia A. Binanay,
- Nathan Thielman,
- Michael Relf,
- Rodney Wright,
- Mary Hill,
- Deborah Chyun,
- Robin T. Klar,
- Linda L. McCreary,
- Tonda L. Hughes,
- Marik Moen,
- Valli Meeks,
- Beth Barrows,
- Marcel E. Durieux,
- Craig D. McClain,
- Amy Bunts,
- Forrest J. Calland,
- Bethany Hedt-Gauthier,
- Danny Milner,
- Giuseppe Raviola,
- Stacy E. Smith,
- Meenu Tuteja,
- Urania Magriples,
- Asghar Rastegar,
- Linda Arnold,
- Ira Magaziner,
- Agnes Binagwaho
Affiliations
- Corrado Cancedda
- Center for Global Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Philip Cotton
- Office of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Joseph Shema
- Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- Stephen Rulisa
- Office of the Dean, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Robert Riviello
- Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Lisa V. Adams
- Center for Health Equity, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
- Paul E. Farmer
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Jeanne N. Kagwiza
- Office of the Principal, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Patrick Kyamanywa
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, Kampala International University - Western Campus, Ishaka, Uganda
- Donatilla Mukamana
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Chrispinus Mumena
- Office of the Dean and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- David K. Tumusiime
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Lydie Mukashyaka
- Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- Esperance Ndenga
- Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
- Theogene Twagirumugabe
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Kaitesi B. Mukara
- Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Vincent Dusabejambo
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Timothy D. Walker
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Emmy Nkusi
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Lisa Bazzett-Matabele
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Alex Butera
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda
- Belson Rugwizangoga
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Jean Claude Kabayiza
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Simon Kanyandekwe
- Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Louise Kalisa
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Faustin Ntirenganya
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Jeffrey Dixson
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Tanya Rogo
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
- Natalie McCall
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Mark Corden
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Rex Wong
- Global Health Leadership Institute, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Madeleine Mukeshimana
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Agnes Gatarayiha
- Office of the Dean and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Egide Kayonga Ntagungira
- School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Attila Yaman
- Division of Global Health Equity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Juliet Musabeyezu
- University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
- Anne Sliney
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
- Tej Nuthulaganti
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
- Meredith Kiernan
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
- Peter Okwi
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Kigali, Rwanda
- Joseph Rhatigan
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Jane Barrow
- Office of Global and Community Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Kim Wilson
- Department of General Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Adam C. Levine
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Rebecca Reece
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Michael Koster
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Rachel T. Moresky
- sidHARTe Program, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
- Jennifer E. O’Flaherty
- Department of Anesthesiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
- Paul E. Palumbo
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
- Rashna Ginwalla
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
- Cynthia A. Binanay
- Duke Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health, Durham, NC, USA
- Nathan Thielman
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Michael Relf
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Rodney Wright
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
- Mary Hill
- Division of Nursing, Howard University College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
- Deborah Chyun
- University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, CT, USA
- Robin T. Klar
- New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York City, NY, USA
- Linda L. McCreary
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, Chicago, IL, USA
- Tonda L. Hughes
- Columbia University School of Nursing, New York City, NY, USA
- Marik Moen
- Department of Family & Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Valli Meeks
- Department of Oncology & Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Beth Barrows
- Office of Global Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marcel E. Durieux
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Craig D. McClain
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Amy Bunts
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Forrest J. Calland
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Bethany Hedt-Gauthier
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Danny Milner
- Center for Global Health, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Chicago, IL, USA
- Giuseppe Raviola
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stacy E. Smith
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Meenu Tuteja
- Global Health and Research Programs, Biomedical Research Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston MA, USA
- Urania Magriples
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Asghar Rastegar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Linda Arnold
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Ira Magaziner
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
- Agnes Binagwaho
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.15171/IJHPM.2018.61
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 7,
no. 11
pp. 1024 – 1039
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.
Keywords
- Health Professional Training
- Human Resource for Health
- Institutional Capacity
- Strengthening
- Academic Partnerships
- Rwanda
