1. WHO Africa

WHO Africa advances health professions education with prototype competency-based curricula

WHO Africa Advances Health Professions Education with Prototype Competency-Based Curricula

WHO Africa advances health professions education with prototype competency-based curricula

Kintele, Republic of Congo – The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) has convened experts to validate the Prototype Competency-Based Curricula for 10 health occupations in Africa. This landmark initiative is part of WHO’s broader Africa health workforce agenda and will lay the foundation for strengthening quality and harmonising health workers’ education across Africa, ensuring they are better prepared to respond to evolving health needs. These curricula are set to address the huge competency gaps of health workers, who according to recent assessments get on average 60% of clinical diagnoses and 35% of treatments right compared with standard guidelines. 

Health professions education in Africa has long faced systemic challenges, including limited resources, outdated curricula, and a shortage of adequately trained educators. These issues have hampered the readiness of graduates to meet the health needs of their communities and patients. To address these gaps, WHO and its partners have spearheaded a rigorous and inclusive process to design and develop competency-based curricula that align with the realities of African health systems. 

Today, 25 experts from 12 countries convened in Kintele, Congo (7–9 October 2025) for the final validation of the curricula. This milestone event, officially opened by Dr Adelheid Onyango, Acting Director of the Health Systems and Services (HSS) Cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, brings together academics, regulators, professional associations and partner organisations across the continent. The validated curricula will be formally launched in November 2025 by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi.

“The adoption of competency-based curricula is a transformative investment in Africa’s health workforce. By equipping graduates with the skills, attitudes, and values needed to address the health realities of our populations, we are building a foundation for stronger, more resilient health systems” underscored Dr Onyango in her opening remarks 

Building on the Global Competency and Outcomes Framework for Universal Health Coverage (2022), the 10 curricula were co-created in a regional consensus process. A Curriculum Development Advisory Group comprising experts in health professions education, health practitioners, policy makers, regulators and professional associations provided technical oversight to the process. Subsequently, the Inaugural Africa Health Professions Education Dialogue in Lusaka in 2024 defined the core competencies expected from health professions graduates in Africa. The curriculum drafts have been reviewed by more than 300 stakeholders across Africa and globally. 

Explaining the rationale for the WHO-led Africa Health Workforce Transformation and Harmonisation drive, Dr James Avoka Asamani, Health Workforce Team Lead at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, stated that “By developing competency-based curricula, instituting robust accreditation frameworks, and establishing benchmarking mechanisms, we are laying the foundation for harmonization that will ensure trusted, high-quality health professions education across Africa.”

The Africa Prototype Competency-Based Curricula will serve as reference models for countries in adapting, implementing, and institutionalizing competency-based education. The initiative reinforces WHO/AFRO’s commitment to supporting Member States in strengthening health systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

With its upcoming launch, the curricula will stand as a blueprint for excellence in health professions education, ensuring that the next generation of African health workers is equipped not just with knowledge, but with the practical competencies needed to deliver quality care.

Notes to Editors

  • The Africa Prototype Competency-Based Curricula were developed by the WHO Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with regional and global experts.
  • The initiative responds to the urgent call for modernizing health professions education to meet Africa’s pressing health needs and to contribute to global health security.
  • The official launch of the curricula will take place in November 2025 at the opening of the Member States consultations on the WHO’s Africa Health Workforce Agenda, 2035.
  • The ten professions whose curricula has been developed Basic Medical Education, Advanced Midwifery & Women’s Health, Critical Care Nursing, Emergency Nursing, Paediatric and Childcare Nursing, Paediatric Medicine and Child Health, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Health Information Systems and Community Health Workers

Resources: 

WHO Africa Advances Health Professions Education with Prototype Competency-Based Curricula
Click image to enlarge