Integrating Social Accountability into Health Professions Education in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria’s health professions education system can better serve its population by integrating social accountability (SA) standards; the obligation of institutions to focus education, research, and service on society’s priority health needs into the curricula of health professions schools (HPS). Aligning Health Professions Education (HPE) with SA principles; quality, equity, relevance, and cost-effectiveness, as defined by WHO, will produce competent, community-responsive health professionals who can help meet the nation’s health needs. The strategy to achieve this is multi-factorial and includes the establishment of a national center of excellence, which should be grounded in local country-led partnerships, curricula reforms at the training institutions, and service delivery at the primary health care facilities and community levels. To achieve stakeholder buy-in of the policy brief, there will be advocacy visits, community engagements, and workshops on the implementation of SA in curricula and service provision across the health professions training institutions and Primary Health Care services in Nigeria. The target health professions training in the first phase includes Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, Radiography, and Medical Laboratory Sciences. Integrating the SA standards for health professions in Nigeria is a holistic, sustainable, cost-effective model to address future and current health needs of the population, improve educational quality, and align research and services to the health needs of the population. It will also help to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare services, with the overall goal of improving the health outcomes in the community.