Programa de Formación Médica Especializada (PFME)
The Specialized Medical and Healthcare Training Program
The Specialized Medical and Healthcare Training Program is a cooperation program of AECID, in collaboration with the CSAI Foundation of the Ministry of Health, aimed at supporting partner countries of Spanish Cooperation in advancing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It achieves this by promoting specialized and continuous training, as well as by sharing the knowledge and experience of the Spanish National Health System and its specialist medical training system, based on technical cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experiences.
Equipped with a robust governance system and founded on partnerships between key actors, PFMES benefits from the collaboration of professionals working in the Spanish National Health System, University Hospitals, as well as scientific societies and professional medical associations. These institutions provide their teaching resources and exchange experiences with their counterparts.
Since 2015, and in response to requests from countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Bolivia, and Paraguay, AECID has developed tailored programs adapted to the specific characteristics and needs of each country. The objective is to improve the training of healthcare professionals, primarily in specialized medicine, but also in Primary and Community Care, and in specific fields such as organ donation, an area in which Spain is a world leader. To date, more than 1,700 participants have attended training sessions, and over 90 training stays have been carried out in various hospitals and healthcare centers in Spain.
- BOLIVIA The PFMES program began in 2018 in Bolivia, in collaboration with the Bolivian Ministry of Health. Its main initiatives include training and supporting educators in competency-based and technical methodologies, training stays in Spain, and the review and adaptation of competency-based curricula for all medical residency specialties, as well as for public university medical programs. Bolivia offers approximately 1,000 medical residency slots annually, and the program also supports the Medical Residency Access System. In 2023, for the second consecutive year, it received the Golden Esculapius Award, granted by the Bolivian Medical College.
- ETHIOPIA Initiated in 2017 with the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, the program provides on-the-job training for residents and specialists in public university hospitals in anesthesiology and intensive care, general and cardiothoracic surgery, radiology, traumatology, gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and emergency medicine. Since 2021, it has been strengthened by the European Joint Initiative, funded by the European Union and Italian Cooperation (AICS). In addition to training, this initiative has enhanced infrastructure and equipment in 8 university hospitals, improved hospital service management, and introduced cross-disciplinary training in clinical research and gender perspectives.
- MALI The PFMES program in Mali started in 2021, led by the Faculty of Medicine, with a focus on technical training for specialists and residents in surgery, anesthesia, and emergency care. Training combines theoretical instruction, practical sessions, on-the-job training, and training stays in Spain. The program is concentrated in two hospitals in Bamako: Gabriel Touré Hospital and Point-G Hospital. It also enhances emergency care services through support in organization and management.
- MAURITANIA Launched in 2020, the program focuses on supporting the Medical Faculty’s Simulation Center in Mauritania, its main partner, through a development plan and the provision of equipment and materials. The program facilitates technical training for residents and specialists in three key specialties: anesthesia, general surgery, and emergency care. It also supports international rotations for fourth-year anesthesia and general surgery students, which take place outside the country.
- MOZAMBIQUE The program was launched in 2015 and focuses on two key areas: (1) Enhancing the organization and management of the specialized medical training system by contributing to the development of the Accelerated National Strategy for Specialized Medical Training, adapting curricula to a competency-based approach, and training tutors, and (2) Providing specialized and cross-disciplinary training for medical residents and specialists in priority specialties defined by the Mozambique Ministry of Health, through on-the-job training and training stays in Spanish hospitals. The program’s official counterparts are the Mozambique Ministry of Health and the Ordem dos Médicos de Moçambique.
- NIGER The program was launched in 2019 and is primarily based at the National Hospital of Niamey, the country’s leading institution for specialist training. It includes methodological training for teaching staff, as well as technical training for specialists and residents in surgery, anesthesia, and emergency care, through theoretical instruction, on-the-job training, and training stays in Spain. The program’s key partners include the Niger Ministry of Health, the National Hospital of Niamey, and the Faculty of Health Sciences.
- PARAGUAY The program was launched in 2023 and focuses on supporting the creation of five critical care units for obstetric and neonatal care by strengthening the skills of specialists and residents in obstetrics, anesthesia, and intensive care. The main actions include developing a course in critical obstetrics, training trainers, conducting training sessions and hands-on practice with simulators, and implementing a video system in operating rooms for learning purposes. The program’s main partner is the Paraguayan Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. In 2024, the program expanded to support an assessment of opportunities for improvement in curriculum implementation, as well as ongoing training and cross-disciplinary competencies in five specialties: family and community medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery.
