Medical education to strengthen health systems in Africa: MEPI as a catalyst for change

Abstract

The announcement of the Medical Education Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) that committed more than USD132
million to medical schools in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over
a 5-year period coincided with the publication of a seminal
article in the Lancet that called for the strengthening of
health systems through transformative education. The significance of these
two events has been considerable for the Faculty of Medicine and Health
Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University (SU). While MEPI was to
provide substantial resources that would lead to the establishment of the
Stellenbosch University Rural Medical Education Partnership Initiative
(SURMEPI), Frenk et al.’s work would offer a theoretical premise for our
thinking and a model for our practice. In this edition of the AJHPE we
endeavour to showcase some of the work and research that has emanated
from the initiative. The articles provide a snapshot in time, reflecting
activities that characterised the first few years of SURMEPI.