Strengthening Health Systems and health care implementation through Network based graduate training and research education in Zambia

Health systems are crucial in attaining Sustainable Development Goals. Unfortunately, the health workforce crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa represents a major obstacle in optimizing system potentials, and increasing capacities, quality and Ieadership through higher education and research are set as an urgent priority.

This is a 5-year collaborative programme between the new School of Public Health (SPH), University of Zambia and the Centre for International Health, University of Bergen. We have a history of partnership for 15 years with great academic achievements. The overall objective is to strengthen the quality of higher education and research in the partner institutions through mutual collaboration and student mobility in pedagogical development and research.

Main specific objectives include to

1. Enhance pedagogical and institutional capacity for better quality at Master and PhD levels through exchange of students/staff;
2. Increase the research capacity in epidemiology, implementation science and health service delivery;
3. Set up transfer system of innovative mobility based knowledge sharing to create a sustainable platform for knowledge creation through partnership.

Research will have a particular focus on equity and quality of reproductive health care delivery of young women and communityoriented approaches in prevention and care.

Core educational activities will relate to the 2-year Master in Epidemiology (developed through the NOMA programme) as well as to start a joint three year PhD programme in Public Health with focus on Implementation Science and closely linked to the Centre for Excellence at the CIH (Centre for Implementation Science in Maternal and Child Health).