Prof Ray Maharaj, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been invited by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa to contribute to a critical initiative aimed at transforming medical education across the continent. This office is leading the development of a regional prototype competency-based curriculum, including the draft curriculum for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

As the Academic Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Universitas Academic Hospital, Prof Maharaj is well-suited to contribute to this initiative. Preliminary discussions on this initiative already started in June this year and Prof Maharaj is looking forward to contributing to the WHO’s initiative to strengthen and transform health professions education across the continent in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

Empowering future health professionals

Says Prof Maharaj: “I am honoured to contribute to the World Health Organization, a leading organisation which plays an essential role in the global governance of health and disease. This work forms part of the WHO’s broader commitment to strengthening and transforming health professions education across the continent, in alignment with the “Global Competency and Outcomes Framework for Universal Health Coverage”. 

The initiative aims to empower future health professionals not only with clinical expertise, but also with the competencies required to deliver contextually relevant, high-quality care that is responsive to the challenges of health systems across the African continent. The emphasis of the revised curriculum is to maintain academic standards while ensuring relevance, coherence, and practical applicability across diverse African settings.  

The WHO, through its regional office, expressed its gratitude to Prof Maharaj for his contribution to the development of a competency-based curriculum for Obstetrics and Gynaecology that is relevant within the African continent. This overarching curriculum is intended to meet the needs of students, educators, regulators, and ultimately the communities they serve, and forms part of a broader WHO strategy to strengthen health professions education in Africa to optimise Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

According to Prof Maharaj, a UFS nominee for this year’s prestigious NSTF-South32 Awards — often referred to as the ‘Science Oscars’ of South Africa — says he hopes the revised competency-based curriculum will align teaching and learning with the challenging healthcare environments across the continent, and produce competent professionals equipped to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.