Cancedda CorradoCotton PhilShema JosephRulisa StephenRiviello RobertAdams Lisa VFarmer E. PaulKagwiza Jeanne NKyamanywa PatrickMukamana DonatillaMumena ChrispinusTumusiime David KMukashyaka LydieNdenga EsperanceTwagirumugabe TheogeneMukara Kaitesi BDusabejambo VincentWalker Timothy DNkusi EmmyBazzett-Matabele LisaButera AlexRugwizangoga BelsonKabayiza Jean ClaudeKanyandekwe SimonKalisa LouiseNtirenganya FaustinDixson JeffreyRogo TanyaMcCall NatalieCorden MarkWong RexMukeshimana MadeleineGatarayiha AgnesNtagungira Egide KayongaYaman AttilaMusabeyezu JulietSliney AnneNuthulaganti TejKernan MeredithOkwi PeterRhatigan JosephBarrow JaneWilson KimLevine Adam CReece RebeccaKoster MichaelMoresky Rachel TO’flaherty Jennifer EPalumbo Paul EGinwalla RashnaBinanay Cynthia AThielman NathanRelf MichaelWright RodneyHill MaryChyun DeborahKlar Robin TMcCreary Linda LHughes Tonda LMoen MarikMeeks ValliBarrows BethDurieux Marcel EMcClain Craig DBunts AmyCalland J ForrestHedt-Gauthier BethanyMilner DannyRaviola GiusappeSmith Stacy ETuteja MeenuMagriples UraniaRastegar AsgharArnold LindaMagaziner IraBinagwaho Agnes2022-04-262022-04-262018Cancedda, C., Cotton, P., Shema, J., Rulisa, S., Riviello, R., Adams, L.V., Farmer, P.E., Kagwiza, J.N., Kyamanywa, P., Mukamana, D. and Mumena, C., 2018. Health professional training and capacity strengthening through international academic partnerships: The first five years of the Human Resources for Health Program in Rwanda. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 7(11), p.1024.2322-5939http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12280/2965Background: The Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program (HRH Program) is a 7-year (2012-2019) health professional training initiative led by the Government of Rwanda with the goals of training a large, diverse, and competent health workforce and strengthening the capacity of academic institutions in Rwanda. Methods: The data for this organizational case study was collected through official reports from the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH) and 22 participating US academic institutions, databases from the MoH and the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) in Rwanda, and surveys completed by the co-authors. Results: In the first 5 years of the HRH Program, a consortium of US academic institutions has deployed an average of 99 visiting faculty per year to support 22 training programs, which are on track to graduate almost 4600 students by 2019. The HRH Program has also built capacity within the CMHS by promoting the recruitment of Rwandan faculty and the establishment of additional partnerships and collaborations with the US academic institutions. Conclusion: The milestones achieved by the HRH Program have been substantial although some challenges persist. These challenges include adequately supporting the visiting faculty; pairing them with Rwandan faculty (twinning); ensuring strong communication and coordination among stakeholders; addressing mismatches in priorities between donors and implementers; the execution of a sustainability strategy; and the decision by one of the donors not to renew funding beyond March 2017. Over the next 2 academic years, it is critical for the sustainability of the 22 training programs supported by the HRH Program that the health-related Schools at the CMHS significantly scale up recruitment of new Rwandan faculty. The HRH Program can serve as a model for other training initiatives implemented in countries affected by a severe shortage of health professionals.enHealth Professional TrainingHuman Resource for HealthInstitutional CapacityStrengtheningAcademic PartnershipsRwandaArticle