Projects
See a list of ongoing partner projects conducted by the Center for Global Health Education (CGHE).
Maseno University Partnership
CGHE has partnered with Maseno University School of Medicine since 2020 on initial faculty development work in simulation-based medical education and the first-ever Kenyan conference in Health Professions Education in 2023.
The inaugural conference brought together 70 Kenyan health professions educators to discuss the future of their field and priorities. The conference led to the creation of the Maseno Department of Medical Education. The conference continues annually, creating opportunities for faculty development in areas of medical education.
We have also worked together to support faculty development in simulation-based medical education, training faculty from departments of Pediatrics, OB-GYN, Anesthesiology, Surgery, Emergency Medicine and Medicine in the use of this educational technology.
For more information about this partnership, contact Colleen Fant, MD, MPH, at cfant@luriechildrens.org.
Lagos University Teaching Hospital Palliative Care Project
CGHE is committed to advancing global health equity by strengthening the global health workforce. Through sustainable education initiatives, CGHE equips trainers and faculty with the necessary skills to prepare the next generation of professionals to deliver high-quality, contextually relevant care.
One of CGHE’s notable achievements is the development of a palliative care program in partnership with Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria (LUTH), a long-standing partner. What began as an online education and training initiative has since evolved into a full-fledged palliative care service, where none previously existed. The program has expanded to serve a broad range of patients, particularly children, and has built a network of palliative care providers across Nigeria. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in addressing critical care gaps, and CGHE continues to support the training and development of healthcare providers through an annual faculty symposium.
The 2024 Palliative Care Symposium, held in Lagos, highlighted the growing need for pediatric palliative care in Nigeria. Led by Ashti Doobay-Persaud, MD, and Ann Ogbenna, MBBS, MSc, FSMPAth, from the University of Lagos, the symposium featured adapted Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) modules tailored to the Nigerian context. With widespread recognition of the need for specialized pediatric care, CGHE’s next steps involve supporting the development of national guidelines and protocols to ensure comprehensive, compassionate care for Nigeria’s children.
For more information about this project, contact Doobay-Persaud at adoobay@northwestern.edu.
Scoping Current Opportunities for Health Professions Educations
The Scoping Current Opportunities for Health Professions Educations (SCOHPE) Satellite Conference aims to address the shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), by exploring the landscape of health professions education across east, west and southern Africa. The project involves surveys and interviews with key personnel from various regions to identify barriers and opportunities in medical education. Findings from this research were shared at a satellite conference during the 8th Annual AFREHealth Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2024. This satellite conference will bring together educators and leaders to discuss preliminary data and gather feedback to refine recommendations for health professions education across the region.
The SCOHPE satellite conference will also strengthen partnerships between Northwestern University, Maseno University and other academic medical institutions in the region. By fostering collaboration and sharing best practices, the initiative will help support AFREHealth's mission to improve health education and reduce disparities across Africa, while also contributing to the establishment of new medical education departments, such as the one at Maseno University in Kenya.
For more information about this initiative, contact Doobay-Persaud at adoobay@northwestern.edu.