The Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) complements and enhances the training of a workforce to meet the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs in eight Sub-Sahara African countries
ADDIS ABABA–Addis Ababa University (AAU), along with international partners: Emory University (Atlanta, GA) and University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) and local partners: Wolaita Sodo University (Wolaita Zone, SNNPR) and Dilla University (Dilla, SNNPR), has received a grant of more than 3.5 million USD for Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) project.
Obtained from the United States’ National Institute of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Center, the HEPI program envisages building capacity at the consortium of local universities in areas of multidisciplinary community based team training, research training and mentorship, implementation science and Inter-professional Education (IPE) with simulation technology. It will also build institution’s infrastructure for administering and supporting international research projects.
Speaking about the new grant, Prof. Miliard Derbew, Principal Investigator of Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI)-Junior Faculty (MEPI-JF) & HEPI projects, has highlighted that the purpose of this grant is to expand and enhance innovative medical and nursing education models; develop strategies that enable graduating health professional students to remain in their work place to practice; increase the quantity and retention of health professionals.
It is to be recalled the same team who has won this grant has also previously won and administrated the MEPI project (10 Million USD) and is currently administrating the MEPI-Junior Faculty project (3.6 million USD).
The Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) complements and enhances the training of a workforce to meet the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The program leverages the achievements and lessons learned from the MEPI, MEPI-JF Research Training and Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI), though prior participation in MEPI or NEPI is not required. Awards can further enhance educational programs, research programs, partnerships and networks formed by prior MEPI and NEPI support; or can expand to new health professional schools and departments.
Sources: AAU and NIH Fogarty International Center