The country office supports the implementation of the WHO's strategic directions for nursing and midwifery. Photo credit: WHO.The numbers of physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nursing and midwifery personnel in Egypt are above the regional average. However, information on human resources remains fragmented and concerns have been expressed about the relevance of the curriculum and quality of training in medical schools.
Way forward
To address these concerns, a medical education reform initiative is being undertaken between the Faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University and WHO. It seeks to pioneer reforms in health professions education institutes in Egypt.
Among the initiative’s aims are:
the adoption of national standards based on prepared regional standards;
establishment of a national accreditation system that will enable medical school graduates in Egypt to meet the global standards for medical education and practice;
continuous quality improvement in medical education;
and the preparation of guidelines and practical tools on how to plan, implement and evaluate reform interventions.
Support for nursing and midwifery
The WHO country office is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Population and the Supreme Council of Universities in Egypt to develop national reference standards for the nursing higher education curriculum. This is part of an effort to develop a match between nursing education and the demands of consumers of health care.
Human resources observatory
The WHO country office is supporting the Ministry of Health and Population in the development of a human resources observatory. The observatory will help to provide the information necessary for developing informed policies and making evidence-based decisions. The goal is to monitor trends in the health workforce through a sustainable and dynamic human resource information system, generating reliable and instant data for human resource development.