Enterprise AI Analysis
Functions, challenges and opportunities of health professions education units in Africa: a qualitative study across Eastern, Southern and Western regions
Teaching in Health Professions Education (HPE) is complex, with educators balancing teaching, clinical, and scholarly responsibilities. Medical, nursing, and other health professional schools have created units to move HPE forward. However, little is known about how these units have evolved over the past 15 years. This study explored the landscape of HPE units in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa, their evolution, functions, challenges, and opportunities for continued growth.
Executive Impact & Key Findings
Leverage the core quantitative insights from this research to inform your strategic decisions and understand the current landscape of Health Professions Education in Africa.
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Interviews Conducted
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Institutions Covered
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Countries in ESWA
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Average Unit Age (Years)
Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications
Select a topic to dive deeper, then explore the specific findings from the research, rebuilt as interactive, enterprise-focused modules.
Establishment & Drivers
Operational Landscape
Core Functions & Successes
Challenges & Future Growth
Drivers and Champions of HPE Unit Formation
HPE units in ESWA were primarily established due to both internal institutional needs and external demands. Internally, new educational strategies like problem-based learning and curriculum reviews highlighted a need for enhanced faculty development. Externally, the growing demand for skilled health professionals and a focus on patient safety underscored the necessity for improved training and teaching.
Key champions, including government officials, senior leadership, and HPE-trained faculty, were crucial in the ideation, logistical, and political support for these units. International university partnerships also provided vital guidance and financial assistance during the establishment phase.
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Survey Response Rate for Initial Outreach
Only 26% of initial survey recipients responded, highlighting potential difficulties in engaging a broader spectrum of HPE professionals and the need for diverse recruitment strategies.
Heterogeneity in HPE Unit Operations
| Aspect | Description/Variability | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Location | Units are positioned at various levels: faculty-level, within Dean's office, stand-alone department, or center. Some are fully-fledged departments, others operate within larger departments. | Significantly influences leadership, staffing, funding, and longevity. Stand-alone departments often more vulnerable to institutional shifts if not recognized as academic equals. |
| Funding Sources | A mix of internal (institutional budget, grants/awards) and external (research, project grants, philanthropic, government, NGOs) sources. Units also generate income from tuition and consultation fees. | Reliance on seed funding often requires units to develop independent, ongoing revenue streams for sustainability. |
| Staffing Complement | Staff size ranges from 1 to 38, with most units having 3-6 members. Staff include a mix of full-time, part-time, seconded clinical faculty, administrators, advisors, lecturers, and program leaders. | Challenges include insufficient faculty, difficulty recruiting expertise, limited funding for hiring, and issues with trained faculty retiring or leaving. |
| Professional Identity | Diverse backgrounds (doctors, nurses, pharmacists). Individuals often hold dual identities (clinician and educator). | A lack of clear HPE career pathways can lead to tensions with clinical duties and perceived lack of professional advancement. |
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Typical Staff Members per HPE Unit
While staff size varies widely (1-38), most HPE units in ESWA operate with a core team of 3-6 individuals, highlighting resource constraints and the challenge of balancing multiple responsibilities.
Staffing Challenges and Identity Conflicts
HPE units frequently encounter human resource issues, such as a scarcity of adequately trained faculty, hurdles in recruitment, and faculty retirement. A significant challenge arises from the tension between clinical and educator identities, where clinical demands often overshadow academic duties. This is compounded by a perceived lack of clear career advancement for HPE professionals, leading to hesitation among faculty to fully commit to an HPE role.
One participant noted: "Most doctors that graduate are looking to become surgeons, to be obstetricians, gynecologists, people tend to forget about teaching, you know. Nobody sees teaching as a full profession."
Common Activities of HPE Units in ESWA
| Activity | Units Engaging (%) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty development | 95% | Training educators to improve teaching skills. |
| Research in health professions education | 75% | Conducting scholarly inquiry within HPE. |
| Teaching and training | 75% | Direct instructional activities for health professionals. |
| Curriculum development, review, renewal and implementation | 75% | Designing and updating educational programs. |
| Scholarship in teaching and learning | 60% | Producing and disseminating knowledge related to educational practices. |
| Quality assurance at the institution and affiliated schools | 60% | Ensuring high standards in educational delivery. |
| Service (community engagement, institutional service, service to the field, working with other universities on HPE matters) | 55% | Contributing to broader academic and community initiatives. |
| Assessment | 50% | Designing and implementing methods to evaluate learning outcomes. |
| Postgraduate diplomas, Masters and Doctorate degrees in HPE | 35% | Developing and offering advanced academic programs in HPE. |
| Accreditation | 25% | Supporting processes for formal recognition of programs. |
Key Achievements and Institutional Impact
HPE units in ESWA have achieved significant successes, including reshaping institutional perspectives on teaching and learning, directly influencing curriculum development, and establishing graduate programs in HPE. These efforts have led to a 'quantum leap' in educational leadership, fostering a common language around education, and acknowledging HPE as a distinct academic field.
The introduction of Masters in HPE programs is particularly noted as a major success, requiring substantial effort and time. Units also excel in fostering collaboration, allowing students from diverse health sciences to learn together and building capacity across institutions.
Enterprise Process Flow: Interplay of Core Factors Affecting HPE Unit Success
The success and longevity of Health Professions Education units are intricately linked through a dynamic interplay of Funding, Structure, Staffing, and Activities. A change in one area profoundly impacts the others, shaping the unit's capabilities and outcomes. For instance, robust funding can enable better staffing and more diverse activities, while an effective structure can optimize resource allocation.
Funding
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Structure
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Staffing
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Activities
Persistent Challenges and Barriers to Growth
HPE units face ongoing challenges, primarily related to human resources, including a shortage of adequately trained faculty, difficulties in recruitment, and high rates of retirement. A significant barrier is the tension between clinical and educator identities, often exacerbated by institutional incentives that prioritize research over quality teaching.
This misalignment can lead to faculty redirecting energy away from teaching. Furthermore, initial resistance from lecturers unfamiliar with innovative curricula and a perceived lack of clear career advancement opportunities for HPE professionals hinder growth and dedicated engagement. Institutional processes for assessing teachers are often "skewed towards research," creating a "bumpy road" for those focused on education.
Opportunities for Strengthening HPE Units
Opportunities for strengthening HPE units in ESWA include fostering a strong HPE professional identity, promoting robust collaborations, and securing sustainable funding. Building a recognized HPE identity helps retain professionals and encourages dedication to HPE work.
Strategic partnerships—both internal and external—provide legitimacy, guidance, and resources for expanding activities beyond teaching into research. Dedicated institutional funding, rather than reliance on project-based grants, is crucial for stability and long-term planning, enabling units to focus on their core mission and foster a critical mass of HPE educators and scholars. Intentional leadership and organizational design are also key to maximizing output and effectiveness.
Calculate Your Potential HPE Impact
Estimate the tangible benefits of optimizing your Health Professions Education unit with strategic support and development, informed by regional insights.
Estimated Annual Savings
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Reclaimed Hours Annually
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Strategic Roadmap for HPE Unit Advancement
Based on the study's conclusions, here's a phased approach to strengthen Health Professions Education units in ESWA and beyond.
Phase 1: Establish Professional Identity & Pathways
Develop and implement institutional policies that formally recognize Health Professions Education as a distinct academic career path. This will help entrench HPE professional identity among faculty, reducing tension between clinical and educator roles and offering clear advancement opportunities.
Phase 2: Secure Sustainable Core Funding
Advocate for and secure dedicated core institutional funding for HPE units. This ensures long-term stability and reduces reliance on project-based grants, allowing units to plan strategically, invest in faculty development, and sustain essential activities without interruption.
Phase 3: Foster Regional Networks & Collaboration
Actively promote and support regional HPE networks to facilitate mentorship, collaborative research, and shared resource development. These networks will enhance knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the overall quality and impact of HPE across Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa.
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