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Aga Khan University has become the first in Africa and South Asia to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International (ACGME-I).

The university’s departments that were accredited are the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) in Nairobi and Karachi.

“The sponsoring institution applications from Aga Khan University in Karachi and Nairobi were awarded initial accreditation in a peer driven review process,” said ACGME-I Executive Director Lorraine Lewis.

“Peer reviewers from the US and other ACGME-I-accredited jurisdictions noted the commitment and professionalism that was evident in both submissions, and congratulate faculty and staff at both institutions for their accomplishment.”

ACGME-I is a global accreditation body that verifies that medical education institutions, as well as their postgraduate programmes for residents and fellows, meet the highest academic standards.

By improving the quality of teaching, learning, research and professional practice, ACGME-I seeks to improve healthcare that ultimately benefits the public.

Aga Khan University’s campuses in Kenya and Pakistan are the only institutions in their respective regions to be recognised by the ACGME-I.

This is for infrastructure, policies, procedures and support systems that provide top quality graduate medical education to trainee doctors.

The university’s PGME in Nairobi and Karachi will now start the process to seek accreditation for individual residency and fellowships programmes through ACGME-I

Commenting on the news, AKU Medical College, East Africa, Dean, Prof. Lukoye Atwoli said: “AKU strives for excellence in its medical education programmes and we are very proud of this achievement which is a testament to the international quality standards of our institutional set-up and the programmes we offer. Our ultimate goal is to produce healthcare professionals who are leaders through our unique training programmes, research and innovation, and to support best practice in the delivery of healthcare services across the region.”

AKU’s medical colleges have produced over 3,800 specialist doctors to date who have helped raise healthcare standards around the world.

Over 60 per cent of AKU PGME graduates are currently working at public and private sector hospitals in the countries where they completed their education. More than a third of clinical faculty at AKU are graduates of its own PGME programme.

Accreditation of AKU’s specialised medical education programmes will make it easier for the University’s trainee physicians to access advanced educational opportunities at other accredited entities overseas, and will enable the country’s doctors to continue to gain the knowledge, skills and experience to treat the most complex diseases and disorders.

Dr Dorothy Kamya, associate dean of AKU’s PGME department in Kenya, said: “Our postgraduate programmes embody a new paradigm which focuses on professionalism, lifelong learning and research. Our graduates are equipped to be leaders, experts and innovators in their fields and they have gone on from their studies to expand and improve the delivery of specialised medical services in the region and globally.”

All of AKU’s nine residency programmes and four fellowship programmes in Nairobi are accredited by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council.

All of AKU’s 34 residency programmes and 16 of its fellowship programmes in Pakistan are accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Pakistan.