Azerbaijan Medical University Launches First Undergraduate Emergency Medical Care Study Program with USAID-WHO Support

Azerbaijan Medical University (AMU) has announced the development of a competency-based curriculum for an Emergency Medicine Clerkship Program, set to launch in 2023. Supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and WHO, the program will be the country's first-ever undergraduate emergency medical care study program, strengthening human resources capacity critical in providing high-quality medical care to people in need of immediate medical interventions in ambulances or hospitals.

The launch of this undergraduate emergency care study program is a significant milestone for Azerbaijan in improving emergency medical care for its citizens. AMU is committed to producing well-trained professionals capable of providing high-quality emergency medical care to those in need. The development of this program is a testament to the strong partnership between AMU, the Ministry of Health, and the international community in advancing healthcare in Azerbaijan.

The 3-day workshop, held from February 13-15, brought together 33 participants, including the Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Nadir Zeynalov, WHO experts, deputy rector and deans, vice deans, department heads, and faculty members from AMU. The participants worked in 4 groups using the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) instructional design model to develop the clerkship program.

The workshop was part of the Azerbaijan Pandemic Response (APR) Activity funded by USAID and implemented by WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance, and TABIB. It was part of a larger action plan developed during the Emergency Care System (ECS) Strengthening Week Activities in December 2022.

Four faculty members of AMU who are to take key roles in the new education program are members of the ECS Capacity Group. This 24-member group of emergency care professionals will receive a 2-year comprehensive training as part of the APR Activity and become the champions of emergency medical care transformation in Azerbaijan.

WHO and USAID will continue providing comprehensive support to strengthen the ECS in Azerbaijan through technical and capacity-building activities to improve its readiness and ability to respond to health emergencies.