Qualitative mid-term evaluation of a maternal and child health training and research capacity building program in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya has made gains to reduce their maternal mortality ratio of 400 per 100,000 live births and under 5 mortality rate of 71 per 1,000 live births. Human resources continue to be a challenge for the Kenyan Health System. As part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI), Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) Linked Award, the University of Nairobi (UON) has worked to improve human resources for MNCH by providing opportunities and support for postgraduate level research and for training healthcare professionals at eight Kenyan health centers. This is a secondary analysis of a rapid assessment of 28 key informant interviews and six focus group discussions at six of the MNCH sites with hospital administrators and clinical staff. From 2011 to 2013, there have been 71 research projects by postgraduates in obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics at five of the eight health facilities around Kenya. Continuing medical education (CME) for healthcare professionals consists of PRONTO trainings in emergency obstetrics and newborn resuscitation simulation as well as in short course series in program management, implementation science, and MNCH policy and clinical management. Interviewees asked about both the research and CME activities reported that these interventions helped improve work environment, policy, and practice and increased quality of care at their sites. Postgraduate student presence helped reduce the patient to provider ratio and provided locally relevant implementation research to improve MNCH care. Sustainability of this program relies on continued support for research and adoption of materials from the short courses to ongoing site supported CME.