Redefining the measure of medical education: harnessing the transformative potential of MEPI

The massive shortage of skilled health professionals in many parts of the world is a critical constraint to achieving the goal of universal health coverage. This shortfall reflects a generalized failure of leadership: a chronic misalignment between the direction of health professional education and the health goals of society. The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and Nurse Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI) are outliers in this regard through their deliberate efforts to revitalize education to address the pressing health needs of Sub-Saharan Africa. Inspired by this example, the World Bank Group sees health professional education institutions (HPEIs) as an insufficiently tapped source of knowledge and know-how for accelerating health achievement. The challenge ahead is to articulate clearer expectations for HPEI performance, marshal more and smarter investments across the public and private sectors, prioritize accountability, incentivize innovation, and strengthen global learning and evaluation. It is time to build on the positive legacy of MEPI/NEPI and ensure that the conditions are made available for a new generation of health workers with the competencies to meet the health and development challenges of today and tomorrow.