1. A Community of Practice to Address Uganda’s Human Resource Challenges
Uganda Medical Association Scientific Conference 29 August 2015, Mbale Uganda
Nelson Sewankambo
Makerere University College of Health Sciences

2. Outline of the Presentation
The status quo
Some changes in medical education
The place for Communities of Practice

3. What is UHC?
“all people receiving quality health services that meet their needs without exposing them to financial hardship in paying for them”
“giving virtually everyone access to preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services at an affordable cost”
“good health at low cost with equity”

4. End of the World: Is universal access achievable?

5. Makerere Best in Research in East and Central Africa
Out of the publications by Makerere in the referred period, were cited by academics, a feat no other institution in East and Central Africa could attain.

6. How should we make progress?
Does the current trend of medical practice in Uganda ensure progress towards accelerating access to quality health care for universal health coverage?
The medical fraternity is challenged on how to play its role in reversing the trend.
Ethiopia: The number of universities and health science colleges has grown from five in 2003 to 28 in 2015.
Uganda:
Gone from 2 medicals 20 years ago to 7 and many more health science schools
Kampala International University…1000 students admitted
Many new medical schools in the offing

7. The need to think outside-the-box
Progress emerges from disturbances of a status quo and response to it.
Using a communities of practice (CoP) approach to contribute to bringing about the needed system change in the production of medical practitioners.
Success is more likely if such disturbances are embedded in an evidence-informed system that is supported by CoP approach.

8. Communities of Practice (CoP) to support health professions education systems
COPs: “Groups of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis”

9. Common Standards: Competencies developed by MESAU & Stake-holders
Medical Knowledge
Clinical skills and patient care
Critical Inquiry and scientific method
Professionalism and ethical practice
Interpersonal and communication skills
Leadership and management
Population health
Continuous improvement of care through reflective practice
Health systems management

10. 10 years Admissions at MESAU: Of 1824 admissions 1576 (86%) were from 10 (0.4%) Kampala secondary schools

11. Districts with MESAU COBERS Sites 2015

12. MakCHS Students at Kaabong Hospital, Karamoja

13. Grand round between MUST, MakCHS and JHU on care for children with severe acute malnutrition

14. Enhancing Graduate Tracking Capacity at MESAU Institutions

15. What we have done so far
Involved professional Council Bodies in the process – Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (Dr. Katumba Ssentongo)
Identified the MESAU GTS Team from MESAU Institutions: Roles and Responsibilities
MESAU Institutions worked on data specifications and customized reports list.
CapacityPlus supported MESAU Institutions to customize software to institutional needs.
Collected sample data & uploaded it into the system – Google Forms and paper based.
Launched the MESAU Graduate Tracking Software

16. Busitema University FHSc Department of Anatomy: MESAU modified and refurbished the building

17. Learning from elsewhere: The Anatomage Table - University of Botswana

18. Wet Lab with space for Research

19. Electronic Laboratory

20. Students demonstrate clinical skills in the MEPI-funded skills laboratory

21. Thank You