EnCompass is pleased to share the final report from the Evaluation of PEPFAR’s Contribution (2012-2017) to Rwanda’s Human Resources for Health (HRH) Program. In this evaluation, EnCompass assisted a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee in evaluating and documenting how U.S. government investments in HRH in Rwanda have affected morbidity and mortality outcomes for people living with HIV. EnCompass’ role was to lead the data gathering component of the evaluation, drawing on our signature approaches of emphasizing participation at all stages of the process and taking utilization of findings as a primary objective.
The final report is in English, with a multilingual summary in English, Kinyarwanda, and French.
- Full Final Report
- Report Highlights
- Multilingual Summary (Incamake mu ndimi zinyuranye – Sommaire Multilingue)
Report Summary from the National Academies
A persistent shortage of health care workers in Rwanda is a key barrier to meeting the nation’s health needs. Rwanda’s Human Resources for Health (HRH) Program was conceived to strengthen health professional education and thereby increase the number of high-quality health professionals in the country. The HRH Program was funded by the Government of Rwanda; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and the U.S. government’s initiative to support the global response to HIV, known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). In 2018, CDC and the State Department asked the National Academies to evaluate PEPFAR-supported HRH Program activities.
The HRH Program more than tripled the country’s physician specialist workforce and produced major increases in the numbers and qualifications of nurses and midwives. Partnerships between U.S. institutions and the University of Rwanda introduced new programs, upgraded curricula, and improved the quality of teaching and training for health professionals. Growing the number, skills, and competencies of health workers contributed to direct and indirect improvements in the quality of HIV care, including greater availability of providers, improved skills for basic and HIV-specific care, and improved skills to address HIV-related complications.
Based on the successes and challenges of the HRH program, the report recommends that future investments in health professional education be designed within a more comprehensive approach to human resources for health and institutional capacity building, which would strengthen the health system to meet both HIV-specific and more general health needs. The recommendations offer an aspirational framework to reimagine how partnerships are formed, how investments are made, and how the effects of those investments are documented.
Image by Sarah Farhat/World Bank Photo Collection via Creative Commons.
