The 11th Quality Management & Patient Safety Conference, scheduled for October 19 at the Gallagher Convention Centre, serves as a forum where healthcare industry pioneers and leading experts will convene to present transformative ideas focused on strengthening healthcare resilience and sustainability in Africa.
With a theme that provocatively asks, 'Where to from here? How to make resilience and sustainability our reality’, the conference will delve into key topics such as the design and implementation of patient safety systems in teaching hospitals, the role of accreditation in driving sustainable improvement, as well as strategies to mitigate malpractice litigation and clinical negligence.
The event presents a holistic platform for healthcare professionals to navigate the future of healthcare resilience and sustainability in Africa. Under the insightful guidance of conference chair Jacqui Stewart, the agenda boasts a roster of eminent speakers, including Prof. Ethelwynn Stellenberg, Dr. Lydia Okutoyi, and Lauren De Kock, among others.
Related: Africa Health 2023: Connecting Africa healthcare community to a sustainable future
Sessions will grapple with key topics such as implementing patient safety systems in teaching hospitals, the role of accreditation in driving sustainable improvement, and strategies to address malpractice litigation and clinical negligence. The day is structured to balance high-level presentations and dynamic panel discussions.
Delegates — ranging from hospital managers to quality coordinators — can anticipate actionable insights on achieving healthcare resilience, translating knowledge into on-the-ground strategies, and fostering meaningful change in quality management and patient safety. Beyond this, the event offers CPD awards, further elevating its value for healthcare professionals committed to lifelong learning and excellence.
"The Quality Management & Patient Safety Conference is a crucial event that will speak to the core issues around improving healthcare outcomes across Africa," says conference chair Jacqui Stewart, who serves as CEO at The Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (Cohsasa).
Stewart’s experience in leading Cohsasa to guide various hospitals in the region toward accreditation attests to her expertise in instituting strict quality and safety standards. Her insights will undoubtedly enrich the conference, offering attendees actionable strategies for achieving similar milestones in their own institutions.
Among the esteemed participants at the conference is Professor Ethelwynn Stellenberg, an Emeritus Associate Professor in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at Stellenbosch University, and the National Chairperson of the South African Medico-Legal Association and a Cohsasa board member.
Recently inducted into the prestigious ISQua Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care, Stellenberg is renowned for her rigorous research into malpractice litigation in South Africa's healthcare sector. Throughout a long and illustrious career, she has spearheaded initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare quality, from elevating clinical standards to devising educational programmes for healthcare professionals. Her leadership and work have earned her global recognition for making tangible impacts, particularly in improving patient safety.
Related: Africa Health 2023 spotlights the evolving role of nursing
The keynote address will be given by Dr. Sodzi-Sodzi Tettey from Ghana, Vice President, Global Delivery — Africa & Middle East, at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He is a board member of the International Society of Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), the global body that accredits external evaluation organisations, and a member of their Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care.
Also presenting is Dr. Lydia Okutoyi who is the Director of Healthcare Quality at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. She is the Founding President of the Society for Quality Healthcare Kenya and was recently inducted into the ISQua Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care. Dr. Okutoyi will delve into the intricacies of designing and implementing a patient safety system and culture in teaching hospitals.
Her talk will form part of the second of the day’s three sessions, themed around staff and patient safety. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A panel and promises to elucidate the complexities and opportunities inherent in cultivating a safety-centric environment within healthcare settings.
Medical professionals in pursuit of a comprehensive learning experience, are invited to peruse the Medlab Laboratory Management Conference, which is collocated at Africa Health 2023.
With the clinical laboratory industry estimated as the fastest-growing sector in the SADC region and a diverse attendance from over 50 international countries, Medlab Africa 2023 is a nexus for business development, network expansion, and industry acumen and will be of immense value to medical professionals across a spectrum of roles, from clinicians to procurement managers.
The Medlab conference delineates a robust agenda in Laboratory Management, Clinical Pathology, and Anatomical Pathology - areas that could hold value for attendees of the 11th Quality Management & Patient Safety discussions. Both events will unfold at the Gallagher Convention Centre, combining to form more than the sum of their parts, and amplifying the depth and breadth of educational opportunities that Africa Health Conference Events offer.
Together the 11th Quality Management and Patient Safety event and the MedLab 2023 discussion trajectories constitute a profound and actionable landscape for knowledge sharing and professional advancement. Mark the date and seize this unparalleled opportunity to be part of shaping resilient and sustainable healthcare futures across Africa. With limited slots available, those interested in these symposia are encouraged to register promptly.
Africa Health 2023 will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 17 to 19 October 2023, at the Gallagher Convention Centre. To register, click here.
