The participants of the 24th Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA), which was hosted by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) issued a statement on the Health Workforce of the Future and its Regulation.
The 2022 AMCOA conference aimed to facilitate dialogue around an effective healthcare sector by supporting best practices, innovation and knowledge sharing to the benefit of the public at large. The event programme featured speakers from across the continent, the WHO and the Minister of Health, Dr Phaahla.
Upon conclusion of the conference, participants and dignitaries issues the following statement.
Conference statement
We the participants from the twenty-two (22) AMCOA member states and five (5) associate members, represented by senior officials of respective health regulatory bodies, gathered at the 24th Annual AMCOA Conference held at the Sun City Resort in the North West Province of the Republic of South Africa from 2nd to 6th October, 2022; affirm the urgent need to re-align our regulatory priorities towards facilitating and preparing for the growth and development of the health workforce of the future and its regulation. This will also be geared towards ensuring that the future health workforce effectively contributes towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within the African Continent, by the year 2030.
Having shared widely on various issues concerning the health worker there is consensus among members present that:
- There is urgent need to reform training, education, and practice of health care in the Continent towards increasing reciprocity and harmonization across our borders;
- There is need to incorporate and spearhead sustainable health regulation that does not stifle, but facilitates the practice of health professionals in the Continent;
- There is an urgent need to prioritize the wellness of the health workers with a view to building a wholesome, and resilient workforce;
- The use of innovation and digital technology in healthcare within the Continent should be embraced, and effectively regulated to protect patient information and address security concerns;
- Human Resources for Health play a pivotal role in the realization of UHC and therefore the equitable distribution of the health workforce across the Continent will play a key role in its
That having agreed on the above matters, the Member States commit to:
THAT having agreed on the above matters, the Member States commit to:
- Reforming training, education and practice for the future
• Develop a policy to support health curricular review and standardization of Core curricula for undergraduate training among the AMCOA Partner States by June 2024; - Strengthening Sustainable Health Regulation
• Establish a collaborative framework for team-based regulation with an emphasis of stakeholder engagement for sustainable health regulation - The use of Innovation and Digital Technology in Healthcare
• Develop a policy that will guide the use of innovation and digital technology in the training of health professionals and provision of healthcare to the citizens of our Partner States by December 2024. - Health workforce wellness: building a resilient workforce
• Establish a collaborative framework geared towards Improving the conditions of service and the work environment for healthcare workers. - Distribution of the health workforce to deliver universal healthcare
• Develop a collaborative framework to address sustainability of a dynamic human resource for health and to tackle issues such as brain drain, equitable distribution, and skewed health worker migration
For realization of the above, the AMCOA Member States shall review and evaluate the adoption the following existing protocols:
(i) AMCOA Undergraduate Medical Education & Training Protocol, 2018
(ii) AMCOA Internship Training Protocol, 2018
(iii) AMCOA Specialist Training Protocol ,2018
(iv) AMCOA Protocol on Disciplinary Procedures, 2017
(v) AMCOA Protocol on Regulation of the Use of Technology in Healthcare,2017
(vi) AMCOA Protocol on Professional Conduct and Ethics, 2017
(vii) AMCOA Protocol on Corporate Governance, 2017
(viii) AMCOA Protocol on Management of Medical Litigation, 2017
(ix) AMCOA Protocol on Health Workforce Migration, 2016
(x) Medical and Dental Malpractice, 2016
(xi) Task Shifting in Medical Practice, 2015
(xii) Continuing Professional Development (CPD),2013
(xiii) Disciplinary Measures and Procedures, 2013
(xiv) Information Exchange on Disciplinary Matters, 2013
(xv) Internship Training, 2013
(xvi) Management of Impaired Practitioners, 2013
(xvii) Management of Medical Litigation, 2013
(xviii) Undergraduate Medical Education & Training, 2013
(xix) Ethical and Professional Issues, 2012
(xx) Regulation, Registration Standards & Training, 2011
Last Updated on 28 October 2022 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs