Amref Health Africa says it aims to train and upgrade over 2,000 certificate nurses and midwives to diploma levels by the end of 2024.
The health development non-governmental organisation is undertaking the activity through a digital learning platform called Jibu, where health workers can access learning content electronically and via mobile devices.
This, according to the organisation, addresses challenges such as high out-of-pocket expenses and the need for health workers to leave their work stations for face-to-face training.
Lister Banda, Learning for Life Project Officer at Amref Health Africa in Zambia, said Jibu works across the sub-Saharan Africa region, targeting healthcare workers for professional development.
“This is enabled by the integration of partners such as regulators, ministries of health as well as training institutions who enjoy the white labelling capability of the platform to deploy digital learning materials in their institutions,” Banda said.
She added that so far, the platform has been used by over 70,000 people across cadres such as midwives, nurses, doctors, public health officers and pharmacists.
According to Banda, Amref’s role is of ensuring that lecturers who train the healthcare professionals are equipped with knowledge to deliver digital content.
“The platform also caters to areas with limited internet access, allowing users to download content for offline learning,” she said.
Amref states that when midwives are well trained adequate in number and appropriately supported to provide better quality of care, they can avert about two-thirds of preventable maternal and new-born deaths.
Recently, Amref Health Africa in Malawi, Amref International University and other partners collaborated to offer 15 young girls tuition scholarships to study for diplomas in nursing and midwifery.
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda described the scholarships as a “great stride” towards addressing challenges in Malawi’s health sector.
“Any help you give a girl goes a long way. I am happy for the scholarships that have been extended to the 15 girls,” Kandodo Chiponda said.