title: Including oral health training in a health system strengthening program in Rwanda.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rwanda's Ministry of Health, with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, implemented the Human Resources for Health (HRH) Program. The purpose of the program is to train and retain high-quality health care professionals to improve and sustain health in Rwanda.
  
  
  METHODS
  In May 2011, an oral health team from Rwanda and the United States proposed that oral health be included in the HRH Program, due to its important links to health, in a recommendation to the Rwandan Ministry of Health. The proposal outlined a diagonal approach to curriculum design that supports the principles of global health through interconnected training for both treatment and collaborative prevention, rather than discipline-based fragmented training focused on isolated risk factors. It combined 'vertical' direct patient care training with 'horizontal' interdisciplinary training to address common underlying risk factors and associations for disease through primary care, program retention, and sustainability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proposal was accepted by the Ministry of Health and was approved for funding by the US Government and The Global Fund. Rwanda's first Bachelor of Dental Surgery program, which is in the planning phase, is being developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Competencies, the training curriculum, insurance and payment schemes, licensure, and other challenges are currently being addressed. With the Ministry of Health supporting the dental HRH efforts and fully appreciating the importance of oral health, all are hopeful that these developments will ultimately lead to more robust oral health data collection, a well-trained and well-retained dental profession, and vastly improved oral health and overall health for the people of Rwanda in the decades to come.
authors.affiliation: Office of Global and Community Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Brittany_seymour@hsdm.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: Ibra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muhumuza
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mumena
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isyagi
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrow
authors.forename: Valli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meeks
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration; D012307:Risk Factors; D012432:Rwanda; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Rwanda; health system strengthening; interdisciplinary; oral health; workforce training