training.amref.org
AMREF Virtual Training School
The AMREF Virtual Training School (AVTS) is now five years old. Incepted in 2007, the initial objective of the School was to test eLearning methodologies and innovations for training of nurses, and to share lessons learnt with the health sector in Africa. The school is currently repositioning itself to become a virtual training centre of excellence for health workers in the Africa region.
Comprehensive Reproductive Health Course
Despite the fact that 2,000 nurses and 450 doctors graduate in Kenya every year, national maternal health indicators have not significantly improved. The discrepancy has been attributed to lack of skills-based courses in middle-level and universities in Kenya for training of health workers. Consequently AVTS, in collaboration with Kenya’s Division of Reproductive Health, designed a one-year skills-based in-service Higher Diploma course in Comprehensive Reproductive Health for doctors, clinical officers and nurses. Fifteen regional mentors were trained under the programme.
Student Enrolment
From a total of 199 students last year, AVTS currently has 438 students. To date the school has graduated over 300 nurses through the eLearning programme. To respond to the training of Kenya’s health workforce, AVTS has also started offering continuous professional development courses by eLearning (eCPDs). Currently, AVTS has over 110 eCentres in Kenya, used as test centres for the Nurse Upgrading programme, which is implemented jointly with the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).
From the onset, AVTS students have consistently posted high pass rates. Students who sat for NCK exams in March 2012 registered a pass rate of 67% which was higher than the national pass rate.
Diploma in Community Health Course
The Diploma in Community Health (DCH) course was started in 1987 in conjunction with McMaster University and is currently accredited to Moi University in Kenya. It aims to improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes of mid-level health workers and health-related personnel to enhance their competencies, and to address the health needs of underserved communities. Since inception, 560 health workers from 35 African countries have taken the course.
In 2007 the DCH course was converted into eLearning, with the first group of eLearners being admitted in 2008. With effect from January 2012, the course has been running on eLearning mode of delivery only.
BSc. in Community Health
This course is designed to offer relevant, practical skills and competencies that enable graduates to plan and manage health and development programmes. Students will be exposed to a wealth of practical experience drawn from hundreds of programmes run by AMREF in Africa.
Applications are invited from qualified candidates for a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Programme offered by Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) in collaboration with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). The programme will be offered at AMREF International Training Centre, Nairobi.
Masters in Public Health
AMREF and Moi University have been implementing a two-year Masters in Public Health (MPH) programme since January 2008. It aims to provide relevant knowledge and skills that equip the Public Health professionals to protect, preserve and promote the health of communities and populations in a multidisciplinary manner.
