Sudan Academy of Health
Sciences
An Innovative Response to
Health Workforce Crisis
Dr Elsheikh Badr
Academy of Health Sciences, FMOH
Global Health Workforce: Pathways to Health, Irish
Forum for Global Health International Conference
Dublin, 2-3 February 2012
Presentation Outline
HRH in Sudan and skill mix imbalance
 The challenge of HPE
 The AHS: a response to HRH crisis
 AHS achievements
 Critical success factors
 Prospects and way forward

HRH situation in Sudan
Deeply rooted HPE and diversified
workforce
 Migratory trends and brain drain
 High educational potential, yet HRH
shortages
 Skill mix imbalance: 33 medical schools,
3000 graduates vs. 16 nursing schools 600
graduates
 Crisis in nursing/paramedics due to
educational shift failure

The Challenge of HPE
Lack of social attraction for nursing,
midwifery and paramedics disciplines
(inadequate pool of applicants)
 Highly centralised education with urban
focus
 Lack of investment in nursing and
paramedics education (compared to
medical education)
 Limitations of infrastructure and staff
 Weak coordination and political support

The AHS: response to crisis
Established in 2005 under umbrella of the
FMOH
 Mandated to scale up nursing, midwifery
and paramedic education
 Based on the network of vocational
schools
 Decentralised governance (HQ and state
branches)
 Diploma and BSc level qualification

AHS Achievements
Establishment of 15 branches in states
 Expansion/renovation of infrastructure
 Enrollement of 18.000 students
 Educational development and resources
 Nearly 4000 graduates with high
local/rural retention rates
 Social transformation (attraction of
students/ community services..)

Critical Success Factors

Advocacy resulting in political
commitment and partnerships
◦ the power of the crisis: 5:1 message!

Innovative funding
◦ Streamlining of available funding (one planning
framework)
◦ Contractual arrangements
◦ Tapping civil society sources: health
professions associations, women groups, etc.
Critical Success Factors

Maximising use of existing potentials
◦ Educational infrastructure and resources
◦ Training sites
◦ Staff and other human resources

Decentralised educational governance
◦ Local ownership/management protocol
◦ Local admission/training jobs for students
◦ The power of local communities
Prospects and Way Forward
Focus on quality assurance and
accreditation (supervisory model)
 Expanding potential of distance learning
and TEL
 Strengthening partnerships
 Regional and international cooperation
and networking

Thank You..