The rising burden of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and other non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is one of the most defining health issues of the 21st century. This increases the demand for health professionals that are adequately equipped to provide quality prevention of and care for CMDs. Yet, according to WHO the world is facing a global health workforce crisis that can exacerbate existing health inequities leaving people who are already living in vulnerable positions without access to quality healthcare.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation has initiated the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP) as a flagship programme to reduce inequity in health in India, Kenya, and East Africa.
- Vision: People living in vulnerable positions in India and eastern Africa have equitable access to quality prevention of and care for cardiometabolic diseases.
- Mission: Health professionals are equipped to provide quality prevention of and care for cardiometabolic diseases for people living in vulnerable positions, and female health professionals are empowered to prosper in their profession.
The main target group of PEP is future and current nurses, as nurses are essential for improving provision of health services at primary healthcare levels and act as an entry point for the initiation of referral processes. Given that women make up a large share of the health workforce, particularly in nursing, interventions in the education of health professionals further provide an opportunity for increasing agency, skills, and capabilities of women to become empowered in their profession.
PEP is organised around a series of interrelated partner projects to strengthen the capacity of educational institutions to equip nurses and other key health professionals with the adequate skills to provide quality CMD prevention and care and promote equal opportunities for women in the health workforce. PEP is anchored directly within local institutions in India and East Africa that educate health professionals such as nursing colleges, medical schools, and universities as well as institutions with competitive advantages in lifting PEP’s mission.
By taking an institutional approach, the programme is designed to strengthen the institutions’ own agency in designing and implementing sustainable, long-term strategies that increase their capacity to better educate health professionals to meet emerging health demand. PEP develops and strengthens quality CMD education through:
- Quality education on CMDs to reflect the newest knowledge on CMDs in the curriculum, teaching standards, courses, and modules in nursing colleges and medical schools.
- Faculty training to strengthen the skills, capabilities, and agency of faculties in pedagogics, didactics, and online and blended teaching methods.
- Novel and digital methods through the rollout of novel teaching methods including online and blended learning formats and support of necessary infrastructure.
- Research capacity to facilitate up-to-date teaching and evaluation through education research.
Throughout all projects, PEP applies a gender mainstreaming approach to actively promote gender equality and encourages networks and knowledge dissemination to catalyse the impact of individual projects and partnerships.
Learn more about the PEP initiative in this film with CEO Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen:
Partners in India
PEP started in India in 2023 with three partnership projects with the following partners:
- Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore
- All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)
- Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
Partners in Kenya
In 2024, PEP expanded to Kenya initiating three partnership projects with the following partners:
- Amref Health Africa implemented in partnership with Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) and Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB)
- Africa Population Health Research Center (APHRC). The project is implemented in partnership with Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC)
- Non-Communicable Disease Alliance Kenya (NCDAK). The project is implemented in coordination with Ministry of Health Kenya.
Partners in Denmark
- PEP facilitates networks between educational institutions and Danish partner institutions for mutual learning and institutional development. PEP has established partnerships with the following Danish institutions:
- Center for Online and Blended Learning (COBL), University of Copenhagen.
- Three Danish University colleges namely University College Absalon, Københavns Professionshøjskole and VIA University College.
Relevant documents:
