African Genomic Medicine Training Initiative (AGMT)

Version 2 2023-08-08, 13:59

Version 1 2022-11-08, 09:18

educational resource

posted on 2023-08-08, 13:59 authored by Raj Ramesar, Guida Landoure, Shareefa Dalvie, Samar Kamal Kassim, Nicola Mulder, Faisal M. Fadlelmola, Adeyinka Ishola, Nchangwi Syntia Munung, Cheryl Stewart, Noelene Kinsley, Musalula Sinkala, Michèle Ramsay, Yasmina Jaufeerally-Fakim, Emmanuel James SanEmmanuel James San, Anita Ghansah, Abeir Shalaby, Collet DandaraCollet Dandara, Judit Kumuthini, Victoria NembawareVictoria Nembaware, Samuel Mawuli Adadey, Tina-Marie Wessels, Paulina Tindana, Irene Honam Tsey, Kambe Banda, Khuthala Mnika, Valentina Josiane Ngo Bitoungui, Michael PepperMichael Pepper, Seile Yohannes, Lunelle PienaarLunelle Pienaar, Pertunia Mutheiwana, Ananyo Choudhury

The aim of this Professional Development Course was to provide genomics and genetics education to Nurses, Medical Doctors and Pathologists/Medical Laboratory Scientists & Technicians based in Africa.

This course was provided free of charge - there was no cost associated with hosting a classroom for AGMT_2023. Further, attendance for participants and volunteer staff was completely free-of-charge. If classrooms had running costs, they need to find alternate ways to cover these costs.

AGMT was launched in May 2016, in Senegal, by a group of stakeholders from the H3Africa Consortium and the AfSHG. AGMT course has successfully delivered a genomic medicine course to Nurses in 2017 and 2019 and in 2022 and 2023 added two additional groups, Medical Doctors, Pathologists/Medical Laboratory Scientists and Technicians. There is a continuous need for genomic medicine across Africa from various healthcare professionals. AGMT has been working towards meeting this demand and accommodating different healthcare professionals in addition to the group that it initially targeted.

The 1st AGMT iteration was run in 2017 with 19 classrooms in 11 countries, and 1 online class with 225 students registered. The 2nd iteration was run in 2019 with 22 classrooms in 13 African countries, 1 online class, and 294 students registered. The 3rd iteration was run in 2022 with 24 classrooms (1 face-to-face, 3 blended and 20 online) in 11 African countries and more than 800 registered participants with 261 students officially passing the course while the 4th iteration ran in 2023 with 21 classrooms (2 face-to-face, 8 blended and 11 online) in 12 African countries with more than 800 registered participants.