NGOs - SDGs
County Health Workers Trained to Ensure Quality of Health Services in Kenya
Over 120 health workers across the counties of Nairobi, Kwale, Kisumu and Vihiga have been trained on a health model that ensures continuous quality improvement in the delivery of health services in county and sub-county health facilities.
The Kenya Quality Model for Health (KQMH) is a systems approach to strengthening quality health care in Kenya towards universal health coverage through training and mentorship using the national health information database (DHIS2).
The program has been piloted in the four counties by Amref Health Africa in Kenya through the support of the GIZ health sector programme, reaching over 38 public, private and faith-based health facilities.
Delivered through a five-day residential and non-residential programme targeting sub-county and county facilities to ensure quality improvement, focal persons were trained, who then cascaded the information to all staff in their facilities through mentorship and monthly supportive supervision. The trained teams were charged with ensuring quality improvement structures were formed and supported at the facility and continue to regularly meet and monitor improvement strategies with client focus and involvement in the journey towards universal health coverage.
Amref Health Africa’s Director of Health Systems Strengthening Dr Elizabeth Wala said “Improving the quality of health services is a key priority in Kenya as reflected by the government’s efforts in ensuring universal health coverage for all. It is for this reason that the Kenya Quality Model of Health approach stands out as a key strategy to strengthen the quality of health services.
Amref Health Africa in Kenya through the support of GIZ initiated the process to ensure that we built capacity within health facilities by equipping health professionals from all levels with the knowhow to provide quality health services,” added Dr Wala.
The Kenya Quality Model for Health serves to ensure the empowerment of health facility staff through continuous medical education, mentorship and coaching on quality management across all departments. It has also resulted in the engagement of external and internal customers for effective communication in health facilities.
The programme leverages the use of innovation and use of technology for data entry and analysis which allows regular monitoring and evaluation of KQMH activities through the existing County health information and reporting systems.
“As we move our health systems towards UHC, we need to create more linkages with quality of care. The counties where this model has been implemented create a good platform for others to learn. There is still much to be done by the counties in ensuring sustainability of the gains made and scaling this up to all health facilities,” said Amref Health Africa Country Director Dr Meshack Ndirangu.
Speaking during an award ceremony for health facilities that demonstrated significant quality improvement, Kwale County Director of Health Dr Harjara El-Busaidy appreciated the work put in by respective health facilities and encouraged them to use the KQMH checklist to regularly carry out self-assessments.
Kombewa Sub-County Hospital, Vihiga County Referral Hospital and Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kisumu, Vihiga and Kwale counties respectively, emerged as the most improved facilities during the implementation of the program.
KQMH has both structures to measure process indicators which include human resources, scope of services offered among others, and the results in each of the process indicators. KQMH assesses all the six World Health Organisation (WHO) pillars namely: human resources for health, leadership, financing, health services delivery, health information systems, health products vaccines and technologies thus offering a critical systems approach to universal health coverage.
NGOs - SDGs
Mercy Ships and Mission Aviation Fellowship renew partnership to bring life-changing surgery to African patients
Mercy Ships and Mission Aviation Fellowship Team (Image: Supplied).
Humanitarian aid organizations Mercy Ships and Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) have renewed their partnership to help bring life-changing surgical care to isolated communities across Africa.
Mercy Ships operates state-of-the-art hospital ships, providing free surgeries and healthcare services to sub-Saharan nations with limited access to safe surgical care. MAF’s purpose is to bring help, hope and healing through aviation to people living in isolation and poverty.
The renewed memorandum of agreement between these two faith-based charities enables Mercy Ships to extend their reach further inland to a broader spectrum of the population across Africa, bolstered by MAF’s logistical support. This partnership, launched in Madagascar, will enable teams to access hard-to-reach areas and transport patients in need of critical surgical interventions. This collaboration provides opportunities for those in the most remote and inaccessible regions of the country. Further joint initiatives are being explored in other African nations.
“Traveling by road in Madagascar can be incredibly challenging due to the rough terrain and poor infrastructure,” Michael Jurgensen, MAF Madagascar Country Director, said. “In many cases, reaching remote villages can take days by car, draining valuable time and energy. However, with MAF Madagascar’s support, the [Mercy Ships] patient selection team can cover vast distances swiftly and safely, enabling them to visit multiple locations within a short period. Flying not only saves time for the selection team, but also ensures the team can travel to evaluate and select patients from the most isolated and underserved areas for surgery on-ship at a later date.
A 2016 study of Madagascar revealed that only 20% of the population can access surgical services within a two-hour timeframe, and up to 95% would face financial ruin if they required surgery (source: BMJ Global Health). With a scarcity of surgeons — approximately 1 for every 100,000 people — the prospect of receiving necessary surgical treatment seems unattainable for many (source: WHO).
Bernard van den Bosch, who has worked for both MAF and Mercy Ships, and current Director of the Africa Services Center at Mercy Ships, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are confidently re-engaging with MAF because together we are stronger. The country of Madagascar has many hard-to-reach areas, and MAF is the key to accessing them. Non-profit organizations can ‘compete,’ but ultimately, we all serve the same goal. I see many opportunities for future collaboration and intensive joint efforts.”
Bastiaan de Waal, Africa Regional Director of MAF, added: “By transporting Mercy Ships teams with our aircraft to the interior of Madagascar, we provide help, hope and healing to residents with the surgical care they desperately need. The need is high in these areas, and these people in isolated communities are equally entitled to care. We are pleased to partner alongside Mercy Ships to support this often-forgotten group. Being each other’s hand and foot is what we are called to do and we have a shared synergy of vision and values.”
This renewed collaboration between MAF and Mercy Ships exemplifies how strategic partnerships can enhance humanitarian efforts, ensuring that more people receive the critical medical care they need. The two organizations previously partnered from 2014 to 2016 in Madagascar and have worked together in Liberia.
Mercy Ships’ hospital ship, the Africa Mercy®, has been docked in Toamasina since February and is delivering surgery and training. The ship is actively collaborating with Madagascar’s Ministry of Health to identify the most pressing needs and strengthen the country’s surgical systems through its education, training, and advocacy program.
Climate Launchpad Competition 2023 Image.
Despite the success of The Climate Launchpad Competition 2023, Climate Launchpad through the support of Climate-KIC and Irish Aid provided additional support to the participants of the competition through the Post-Climate Launchpad Accelerator. Given that the majority of the participants are early-stage businesses, capacity building is a necessity. The post-competition support is divided into 2, The masterclasses that are being handled by the Climate Launchpad Global team which has participants from over 7 African countries, and The national capacity-building session handled by the Climate LaunchPad Nigeria Team.
The Masterclass session featured a business-changing session on important modules like funding options & Instruments, Gender and Climate, Communications and Storytelling, Climate Impact etc. The national capacity-building session focuses on marketing strategies, practical and optimal use of social media and analytics. As an early-stage business in Nigeria, one of the major challenges you face is reaching and communicating with your potential customers at the market entry stage. The modules were selected after feedback from alumni of the competition.
The modules have been proven to be useful as we have started seeing the tractions of the businesses on social media. Overall, the post-competition support program has been no short of helpful to the businesses. We had 5 active participants from Nigeria who have expressed their gratitude for the post-competition support. Each of them will be given a grant of EUR200 to facilitate their marketing and social media usage.
The National Lead for Climate Launchpad Nigeria, Oluwatosin Ajide affirms the importance of the accelerator program “If we have more competition dedicating their support beyond just the pitching like Climate Launchpad does, We would have more green businesses with solid foundations”. He also thanked the Climate Launchpad central team and the sponsors the Climate-KIC and Irish Aid for their constant support in building the green ecosystem in Nigeria.
NGOs - SDGs
GEANCO Foundation and Archewell Foundation Announce Mental Health Initiative for Nigerian Youth
The GEANCO Foundation and The Archewell Foundation has announced an expansion of their partnership, currently serving girls and young women across Nigeria with menstrual health products and education, to include mental health resources and training for young men and women.
This expanded partnership kicked off with its inaugural Mental Health Summit, taking place over two days and serving nearly 200 students in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and co-Founders of The Archewell Foundation opened the Summit by delivering inspiring remarks to the young people in attendance.
GEANCO intends to hold summits throughout the country over the next year, providing teenage girls and boys with the information, skills, and coping mechanisms necessary to flourish mentally.
“Youth in Nigeria are critically underserved in terms of mental and menstrual health”, said GEANCO’s CEO Afam Onyema. “I am deeply grateful to The Duke and Duchess for partnering with us to address this crisis and provide this vulnerable but inspiring young generation with what they need to thrive in body, mind and spirit.”
A strong stigma also surrounds mental health in Nigeria, which is critically neglected in the country. The World Health Organization estimates that only 3% of the federal government’s health budget goes to mental health, and while up to one-third of Nigerians have mental health challenges, fewer than 500 mental health professionals serve the country’s 200 million plus citizens. Nigeria’s teens and youth in particular have little to no access to mental health support.
The expanded partnership will also continue the ongoing work to support young girls with menstrual health products and education. An estimated 37 million women and girls in Nigeria experience “period poverty”, meaning they are unable to access or afford menstrual products like pads, tampons, and underwear. Because of the material difficulties caused by period poverty and the deep stigma surrounding menstruation, millions of girls in the country miss school every month, crippling their educational advancement and deepening Nigeria’s already vast levels of gender inequality.
GEANCO Foundation provides critical health care and education services in Nigeria. Its David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship provides full tuition, medical care, and social and emotional support to young female victims of terrorism and gender inequality in Nigeria.
