The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and the United States International University (USIU) will this week sign an agreement to launch a Global Executive Master of Business Administration (GEMBA) in Health Leadership Management at AMREF’s International Training Centre and Headquarters. The Executive MBA seeks to equip health professionals with skills to effectively manage and lead health systems in a dynamic environment. While African universities offer MBAs for other professionals, this programme is one of a kind in Africa and will provide training that most leaders in the health sector require but cannot access.
The programme will include financial management, human resource management, procurement management, management of health institutions in general and analysis of impact and changes in health care in particular. Development of strategic thinking will enable health professionals to manage complex organisational scenarios by equipping them with good governance skills, accountability and an in-depth understanding of health systems management. AMREF will sponsor 14 staff members at a total cost of Kshs.9,240,000 annually, excluding the cost of the global class tour.
Leaders of health institutions are often purely health professionals who have been promoted because of their health expertise and therefore, most lack skills in management. At the end of the one-year course, the health professionals will be equipped with the right skills to manage resources in order to reach poor and underprivileged communities in Africa. They will be able to address many of the problems facing health institutions such as wastage of resources and lack of accountability.
A leader in training for Health Systems Strengthening in Africa, AMREF has over the last four years been running a two-year Leadership Development Programme. The partnership will enable more leaders across the continent to benefit from AMREF’s experience and expertise in training health professionals, and USIU’s renowned leadership and management training expertise in Africa.
AMREF is a transparent organisation distributing funds of up to $85 million per year.
