Development and quality assurance of post-graduate medical training in family medicine/primary health care in Southern

The developmental overall objective of the project is to contribute to the health of communities through accessible, responsive and quality health care systems in Eastern and Southern (SADC) Africa through the education and training of family physicians who contribute to interdisciplinary, primary health care systems, oriented towards the needs of individuals, their families and the communities in which they live. The specific developmental objective of the project is to produce greater numbers of well-trained family physicians in Eastern and Southern (SADC) Africa who will operate in the framework of primary health care, in collaboration with nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care workers by providing comprehensive, accessible and high quality services. This will contribute to an integration of "vertical programmes" (e.g. HIV/AIDS, anti-natal care, TB) at the level of individuals and families. Such practitioners will focus on the needs of communities utilising the Community Oriented Primary Care approach. The specific academic objective is to establish an institutional network between departments and units of family medicine/primary health care in order to exchange programme content and educational methods, and to introduce a unified system of quality assurance. Moreover, research will be conducted on the strengths and limitations of a "South-South approach" in which developing country professionals exchange experiences and collaborate. The academic overall objective is the planning, development and strengthening of academic departments or units of family medicine that offer family medicine training at the undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development levels.