Health Informatics Capacity Building in Kenya

Case Study on Moi University

Authors

• Martin C. Were• Abraham Siika• Paul O. Ayuo• Lukoye Atwoli• Fabian Esamai

Presentation Structure

• Introduction• Approaches• Collaboration-HI-TRAIN• Capacity building• Institute• Programs

Introduction

Health Informatics is informatics in health care. It is a multidisciplinary field that uses health information technology(HIT) to improve health care via any combination of higher quality, higher efficiency, and new opportunities.

There is an inadequate supply of skilled individuals who have the technical skills to use this technology to improve health care. So how do we capacity build?..........

Approaches

Collaborations

• Moi university– Schools of Medicine – Department of Medicine

• Makerere University– College of Computing & information Science -

School of Information Technology • University of Bergen– Department of Informatics– Centre for International Health

Capacity building

• PhD fellowship/ scholarships at start.– Supported initially by Fogarty – REACH Informatics

Grant. – Now supported by HI-TRAIN – NORAD Grant–PhD candidates to Bergen (Aug 2015)

• Developing curricula to be adopted by Moi and Makerere Universities.

• The vehicle: HI-TRAIN

HI-TRAINHealth Informatics Training and Research in East Africa for

Improved Health Care

AimsTo set up self-sustainable, replicable and scalable Health Informatics (HI) training and research programs in East Africa, to help meet the rising needs for HI capacity and research of the relevant countries

HI-TRAIN Specific Objectives

• Provide post-graduate (Masters and PhD) level training in Health Informatics and research

• Increase number of women and marginalized populations in faculty-level training in HI and research

• Improve the quality and quantity of HI research conducted primarily by researchers based in the LMIC countries

• Provide model curricula, educational programs and approaches for faculty-level health informatics training

Training in HI

• 70 Masters • 8 PhDs in Health Informatics• Become a self sustaining fee-paying program

Programs

Masters Program

• Curriculum developed and approval – Moi University(Approved)– Makerere Univerity (To be approved)

• Commencing Sep 2015• Recruitment on going• Institutional scholarship support• Training & Practicums• Research Support

PhD Program

• Two stakeholders meetings– Moi– Makerere

• Zero draft is ready• Intake ?2016

Short courses

• Developing short courses– Adoption from REACH Informatics – Fogarty

• Offering training and workshops• Accreditation • Status - pending

Building Institutional Capacity

Retention & Development

Curriculum Development

& Approval

Candidate selection

Education & Supervision

Program Evaluation

The institute

Retention Strategy

• Staff sponsorship and bonding mechanisms• The Institute retention strategy and continued

capacity building.

Future Plans

• Develop a replicable model for HI capacity building for resource-limited countries.

• Replicate model in other countries.• Provide excellence in innovation and research

in global health informatics.• Engage in national-level global health

informatics work, with close collaboration with test-beds like AMPATH for innovations.

Acknowledgements

• NORAD• NORHED• Moi University• Makerere University• University of Bergen

Thank you