The Aga Khan University empowers the people of the developing world with the knowledge and skills to realize their highest goals by providing a transformative education that prepares graduates for local and global leadership. The institution generates solutions to problems that affect millions of people through pioneering research and strives to achieve world-class excellence, inspiring individuals and institutions to meet the highest standards. Because everyone deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, AKU serves the disadvantaged and work where the need is greatest. Together with its partners, AKU builds bridges across borders and boundaries of all kinds, recognizing that humanity’s diversity is one of its greatest assets as Corporate Watch magazine’s KJ Odongo narrates.
Four of Aga Khan University’s residency programmes in East Africa have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International, (ACGME-I).
Three of the programmes – Paediatrics & Child Health, Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging and Obstetrics & Gynaecology have received fresh accreditation, while the Internal Medicine programme has been accredited for the second time. The Internal Medicine programme was the first residency programme in Africa to be accredited by ACGME-I last year.
ACGME-I is a global accreditation body that verifies medical education institutions, as well as their postgraduate programmes for residents and fellows, to ensure that they meet the highest academic standards.
While commenting on the accreditation, Prof Lukoye Atwoli, Dean, Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa said: “AKU strives for excellence and this achievement is a testament to the international quality standards of our institutional set-up and the programmes we offer. We attribute this success to the dedication and efforts of our colleagues who have worked tirelessly to ensure that all our procedures and documentation are of the highest standards”.
By improving the quality of teaching, learning, research and professional practice, ACGME-I seeks to improve healthcare that ultimately benefits the public.
“This accreditation reinforces our commitment to providing the best training environment for the doctors of tomorrow. The majority of our alumni from the medical college go on to work in the public and private sectors and we believe that the culture of excellence in our training, translates to enhanced quality of care in the healthcare system,” said Rashid Khalani, CEO of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi where the residency programmes are based.
The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi has been accredited by global leading healthcare accreditation bodies including Joint Commission International and the College of American Pathologists, another endorsement of AKU’s training centre.
The Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa received an ACGME-I institutional accreditation in July 2020. ACGME-I recognised AKU as the only institution in the region that has the infrastructure, policies, procedures and support systems to provide top-quality graduate medical education. The accreditation means that the training programmes are benchmarked and measured against the best global residency programmes.
“With four of our nine residency programmes now accredited we are working to ensure that the other five programmes get accredited by the end of 2024,” noted Prof Atwoli.
The accreditation come at a time that the Aga Khan University is celebrating 40 years since receiving an international charter.