Picturing Our Work: Improving Preservice Education of Health Workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

These student interns at ISTM Kinshasa Central Hospital, DRC, take a break to pose for CapacityPlus consultant Gilbert Belade—local coordinator for our preservice education costing studies with the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI)—and Sophie Faye of Abt Associates. On a recent trip to Kinshasa, Sophie and Gilbert collected financial information at two nursing and midwifery schools and their associated clinical practice facilities.

Photo by Gilbert Belade (student interns at ISTM Kinshasa Central Hospital)

The studies are designed to estimate the unit cost of producing a nurse or midwife graduate, as well as the effect on unit costs of increasing the quantity and quality of the graduates.

The resulting cost estimates will be analyzed and used to support the institutions and clinical practice facilities, as well as government agencies, in planning and managing the scale-up of nursing and midwifery education. The estimates can also support advocacy for increased funding and evidence-based decision-making on investments in nursing and midwifery education.

As part of its work with NEPI in the DRC, CapacityPlus previously used the Bottlenecks and Best Buys Approach to conduct capacity assessments at seven nursing and midwifery schools. The results guided the country’s NEPI Steering Committee in developing and implementing frameworks, plans, and budgets for scaling up the quantity and quality of graduates.

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Photo by Gilbert Belade (student interns at ISTM Kinshasa Central Hospital)