In order to enhance healthcare throughout Africa, it is crucial to equip frontline healthcare workers with the necessary tools and confidence to drive change. However, their hard work often goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

Dr Sabelile Tenza, an expert in healthcare quality and patient safety, helped to shine a spotlight on these unsung heroes at a recent Quality Improvement Leadership Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. With the theme ‘Co-Producing Safer Care’, the conference brought together healthcare professionals from across the continent to exchange pioneering innovations aimed at improving patient care.

As a conference organiser and chair, Dr Tenza played a key role in arranging impactful presentations by frontline healthcare professionals from countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and Cameroon. The session provided an opportunity for these professionals to share actionable solutions that have led to tangible improvements in their communities.

Among the remarkable innovations presented were:

- reducing cardiology clinic waiting times by 50%;

- improving pre-eclampsia protocol adherence from 55% to significant levels;

- achieving zero hospital-acquired infections in Kenyan facilities over 23 months;

- strengthening primary healthcare systems that reduced patient turnaround times from 120 to 45 minutes;

- increasing antenatal care attendance and deliveries through mobile health training;

- enhancing blood culture yields from under 10% to more reliable results;

- improving patient satisfaction through better discharge communication;

- achieving 90% satisfaction with HIV prevention services by using audio education tools.

Reflecting on the event, Dr Tenza said, “Our goal was to empower frontline healthcare providers and give them the opportunity to present their work. Many had not presented at a conference before, so we also focused on developing their presentation skills.”

As a resolute quality improvement mentor, Dr Tenza shared her enthusiasm for inspiring a new generation of healthcare leaders throughout Africa.

“The energy in that room was amazing. You could feel that something special was happening. Hopefully, the seeds we planted will grow into even more innovations that will transform the continent.”

Dr Tenza also reflected on the feedback received from the participants at the conference. She noted:

“Our session participants appreciated the opportunity to showcase their innovations from various African countries. They expressed enthusiasm for future events that prioritise Quality Improvement projects rather than focusing solely on research initiatives.”

Dr Sabelile Tenza at the Quality Improvement Leadership Conference in Nairobi, Kenya

Empowering unsung heroes