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Strengthening faculty recruitment for health professions training in basic sciences in Zambia
Moses Simuyemba1, Zohray Talib, Charles Michelo
1Dr. Simuyemba is monitoring and evaluation specialist, University of Zambia Medical Education Partnership Initiative, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Talib is assistant professor of medicine and health policy, George Washington University, Washington, DC. Dr. Michelo is head, Department of Public Health, and MEPI program director, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Mutale is lecturer, Department of Public Health, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia. Mr. Zulu is lecturer, Department of Public Health, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Andrews is instructor of medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, and honorary lecturer, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Nzala is assistant dean postgraduate, University for Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia. Mr. Katubulushi is grants manager, University of Zambia Medical Education Partnership Initiative, Lusaka, Zambia. Prof. Njelesani is dean, Lusaka Apex Medical University, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Bowa is professor of urology and Dean, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia. Ms. Maimbolwa is international liaison office and senior lecturer, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Department of Nursing Sciences, Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Mudenda is business manager, University for Zambia School of Medicine Grants Management Centre, Lusaka, Zambia. Prof. Mulla is principal investigator, University of Zambia Medical Education Partnership Initiative, Lusaka, Zambia.
Abstract:
Zambia is facing a crisis in its human resources for health, with deficits in the number and skill mix of health workers. The University of Zambia School of Medicine (UNZA SOM) was the only medical school in the country for decades, but recently it was joined by three new medical schools--two private and one public. In addition to expanding medical education, the government has also approved several allied health programs, including pharmacy, physiotherapy, biomedical sciences, and environmental health. This expansion has been constrained by insufficient numbers of faculty. Through a grant from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI), UNZA SOM has been investing in ways to address faculty recruitment, training, and retention. The MEPI-funded strategy involves directly sponsoring a cohort of faculty at UNZA SOM during the five-year grant, as well as establishing more than a dozen new master's programs, with the goal that all sponsored faculty are locally trained and retained. Because the issue of limited basic science faculty plagues medical schools throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, this strategy of using seed funding to build sustainable local capacity to recruit, train, and retain faculty could be a model for the region.
