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The Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care (RCQHC) was established to provide leadership in promoting Quality of Health Care (QOC) in Africa. The deteriorating Quality of Health Care was a concern that had been raised by many African countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution in 1994 to establish QOC programmes in member countries. In 1996 an African QOC Network was formed consisting of over 1000 organizations and individuals. At its annual conference in 1999, the network resolved to establish a regional centre for the Africa region to teach and promote QOC. The network asked Makerere University to host the centre.
Our Vision
An internationally recognized centre of excellence advancing Quality Health Care in Africa.
Our Mission
To provide leadership in building regional capacity to improve Quality of Health Care by promoting evidence-based better practices.
Mandate and Scope
Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care provides technical assistance and conducts a wide range of activities covering training of health managers, curricula reform/development, and development of health learning materials and dissemination of information, and conducting operational research to achieve its objectives.
RCQHC operated (2000 to 2006) in 22 countries which included Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia in the East, Central and Southern Africa region; and implemented some activities in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote de Voire, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Togo in the West African region. From 2007 with the establishment of USAID/Southern Africa Bureau that takes care of Southern African countries, RCQHC’s scope became limited to 9 countries namely; Burundi, Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia. Collaborative research with countries in West Africa namely; Benin, Mali and Senegal has been established. Currently the centre provides training, QOC approaches and other programmatic interventions in Child Health and Nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases (TB and Malaria) and Reproductive and Maternal Health.
Review of activities
With long standing financial support from USAID East Africa, RCHQC works with health care providers, program managers and policy makers to improve Quality of Health care in mainly in four technical areas namely:
Child Health and Nutrition
Reproductive Health and Family Planning
Infectious diseases (Malaria and Tuberculosis)
HIV/AIDS
Training is one of the key components of RCQHC program’s mandate. RCQHC uses specially-designed training approach programs to improve health, build life skills, and provide technical support to health service providers and communities affected by lack of information about quality of health and care. Working with both the Government and Non governmental organizations, RCQHC has trained in more than 20 countries in Africa. This was done through the activities of the four technical areas as outlined above
RCQHC runs a Post Graduate Quality of Care Diploma course
RCQHC has in collaboration with African Network for Care of Children Affected by HIV/ AIDS (ANECCA) provided leadership in Paediatric AIDS care in the region.
Collaboration
RCQHC has fostered good working relationship with key stakeholders at International, Regional and National levels. It is working closely with the stakeholders to improve Quality of Health Care in Africa. The partners include; Africa 2010, CAFS, ECSA-HC, INTRAH, ENGENDERHEALTH, FHI, WHO, UNICEF, USAID, FANTA/AED and JHPIEGO. |
