The Project
AMREF and Accenture launch an unprecedented e-learning initiative to address critical nursing shortage in Kenya.
"The Kenyan Ministry of Health asked AMREF to work in conjunction with the Nursing Council of Kenya to upgrade 26,000 nurses from certificate to diploma level... With the current shortage of nursing instructors, training 26,000 nurses would take 100 years; by leveraging Accenture's innovative electronic learning solutions, we are targeting to train the same number in just five years."
-- Dr. Peter Ngatia, PhD, AMREF's director of learning systems |
The Opportunity
Kenya's social and economic stability is severely threatened, as is much of Africa, by increasing ill-health, particularly the rapid spread of both treatable and non-treatable diseases, such as trachoma and HIV/AIDS. One of the basic remedies in combating the spread of diseases and accompanying social and economic decay is the provision of a basic health infrastructure. Currently more than 85 percent of Kenyan nurses are certified below a qualified level and have not been trained in the management of new and re-emerging diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis) that are compounding the poverty situation in Africa.
Accenture's Pro Bono Investment
Accenture has donated US$2.9 million to the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) to implement an innovative electronic training program to increase the number of qualified nurses in Kenya. The donation comprises a cash gift of US$1.7 million by the Accenture Foundation and US$1.2 million of in-kind consulting and related services leveraging Accenture's unique electronic learning capabilities. The in-kind consulting services include program management expertise, as well as 14,500 hours of donated time from professionals in Accenture Learning--an Accenture business that provides outsourced learning and training services. The Accenture/ AMREF program specifically will train nurses in the prevention and control of malaria. Currently, Kenyan nurses below diploma level are not trained to manage malaria, which is the leading cause of child morbidity and mortality in Africa: the average Kenyan child contracts malaria 4.5 times per year, and more than 3,000 Kenyan children under age five die from malaria every day. The electronic training Accenture will provide will also equip these nurses with skills not covered in their initial training, including disaster management, which will enable them to effectively support responses to man-made and natural disasters (such as famine) that are familiar to Kenya.
The Impact
Accenture's financial contribution, coupled with its expertise in the area of electronic learning, will contribute the following: eighty hours of electronic learning training course content and assessments; registration, testing and training services for 32 regional training centers; and training for AMREF representatives who will be responsible for training support and proctoring of exams; and Help desk support for nurses and administrators.
About the Client
AMREF's mission is to improve the health of disadvantaged people in Africa as a means for them to escape poverty and improve the quality of their lives. The AMREF mission is to be achieved by: developing, testing and promoting the adoption of models for improving health and reducing poverty; training and capacity building at all levels; and contributing to the development of an environment that enables health and wealth improvement.
About the Company
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With 178,000 people in 49 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$19.70 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2007. Its home page is www.accenture.com.