Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration
and Control Authority
Directive on Continuing Professional Development for Health
Professionals
March, 2013
1
Table of Contents
Preamble .................................................................................................................................................3
Part One ..................................................................................................................................................4
General....................................................................................................................................................4
1. Title .................................................................................................................................................4
2. Definition ........................................................................................................................................ 4
3. Scope of applications ......................................................................................................................5
4. Principles......................................................................................................................................... 5
Part Two ..................................................................................................................................................6
Roles and Responsibilities.......................................................................................................................6
5. Authority ......................................................................................................................................... 6
6. Ministry ........................................................................................................................................... 7
7. Accreditors ...................................................................................................................................... 7
8. Providers ......................................................................................................................................... 8
9. Professional Associations................................................................................................................8
10. Health Professionals ...................................................................................................................9
11. Employer ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Part Three .............................................................................................................................................10
Accreditation and, Credit Allocation and Requirements ......................................................................10
12. Application to be an Accreditor ................................................................................................10
13. Provider accreditation ..............................................................................................................10
14. Course accreditation .................................................................................................................11
15. Credit allocation and requirement............................................................................................11
Part Four ...............................................................................................................................................12
Miscellaneous .......................................................................................................................................12
16. Conflict of interest ....................................................................................................................12
17. Courses or Activities taken abroad ...........................................................................................12
18. Service fee.................................................................................................................................12
19. Uncovered matters ...................................................................................................................12
20. Inapplicable laws.......................................................................................................................12
21. Effective date ............................................................................................................................12
2
Preamble
Whereas changing medical knowledge, evolving technology, rapid organizational changes,
increasing public expectations and greater accountability necessitate the need for updating
professional competence;
Whereas continuing professional development will contribute to the competency of health
professionals and eventual improvement of quality health services;
Whereas it is found necessary to systematically organize the fragmented continuing
professional development activities in Ethiopia;
Whereas, with a view to link with re-licensing, continuing professional development is one of
the main regulatory requirement provided under the Food, Medicine and Healthcare
Administration and Control Regulation for re-licensure;
Now therefore, the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control
Authority have adopted this directive in accordance with article 55 (3) of the Food,
Medicine, Health Care Administration and Control Proclamation and article ……of the Food,
Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Regulation.
NOW, THEREFORE, this directive is issued by the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and
Healthcare Administration and Control Authority in accordance with article 55(3) of the
Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Proclamation No. 661/2009.
3
Part One
General
1. Title
This directive may be cited as “Directive on Continuing Professional Development
for Health Professionals No.11/2013.”
332/2020''
2. Definition
Notwithstanding to the definition provided under Proclamation No. 661/2009 and
unless the context require otherwise in this directive:
1. “Continuing Professional Development” shall mean a range of learning activities
through which health professionals maintain and develop throughout their career
to ensure that they retain their capacity to practice safely, effectively and legally
within their scope of practice;
2. “Authority” shall mean the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Healthcare
Administration and Control Authority;
3. “Proclamation” shall mean the Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration and
Control Proclamation No. 661/2009;
4. “Ministry” shall mean the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health;
5. “Health professional” shall mean a health worker involved in the promotive,
preventive, curative, or rehabilitative health services licensed by the Authority or
regional health regulatory bodies;
6. “Accreditation” shall mean a type of quality assurance process under which
potential continuing professional development providers and courses are evaluated
by an Accreditor to determine if applicable standards are met;
7. “Continuing education unit” shall mean a unit which indicates the value attached
to a learning activity for continuing professional development;
4
8. “Accreditor” shall refer to a professional association or other mandated body by
the Authority to pre-accredit continuing professional development providers and
courses;
9. “Provider” shall refer to public or private institutions including universities,
health science colleges, professional associations and other training institutions
that meet the specified criteria and have been accredited by the Authority or its
designated Accreditor to present learning activities for continuing professional
development;
10. “Employer” shall mean any organization hiring health professional to practice in
his/her profession;
3. Scope of applications
This directive shall be applicable on all health professionals practicing in Ethiopia.
4. Principles
1. No health professional may be re-licensed without fulfilling the required credit
points in accordance with this directive.
2. No continuing professional development course or activity may be counted unless
standardized and recognized as such by the Authority.
3. Standardization of continuing professional development shall be made following
applicable guidelines adopted by the Authority.
5
Part Two
Roles and Responsibilities
5. Authority
1. The Authority shall establish a Continuing Professional Development
Accreditation Committee (herein after referred to as the “Committee”) consisting
of at least 7 representative members from professional associations, the Ministry
training institutes and other relevant bodies.
2. The Committee established in accordance with sub-article (1) of this article shall
be chaired by a representative from the Authority and shall meet regularly. The
Committee may adopt its own rules or procedures.
3. The Committee shall have the power and responsibilities including:
a.develop implementation guidelines and manuals for a uniform system of
continuing professional development that will accommodate the diversity of
health professions;
b. assign Accreditors in accordance with selection criteria provided under the
relevant guideline;
c.approve pre-accredited courses and providers;
d. accredit Accreditors where the Accreditor seeks to be a provider;
e.investigate complaints and take appropriate administrative measures against
Accreditors;
f. review the continuing professional development accreditation guideline when
necessary; and
g. undertake other necessary activities to achieve the purpose of accreditation
of courses and providers.
4. The Authority shall establish a Continuing Professional Development
Accreditation Unit (hereinafter referred to as the “the Unit”).
5. The Unit established in accordance with sub-article (4) of this article shall be
responsible to:
6
a. develop and made available forms necessary for continuing professional
development accreditation;
b. maintain an up-to-date website with electronic copies of downloadable guides,
forms, related documents and list of accredited providers and courses;
c. develop and maintain continuing professional development data base;
d. overall administration and monitoring of continuing professional development
system in the country; and
e. undertake other necessary activities to achieve the purpose of continuing
professional development.
6. Ministry
The Ministry:
1. creates means to encourage and recognize participation of health
professionals in continuing professional development activities in
collaboration with other stakeholders;
2. facilitates the conduct of professional development activities need assessment;
3. encourages professional associations and providers to identify and develop
professional development activities;
4. ensures, in collaboration with the Authority, in-service trainings considered as
continuing professional development courses with credit points; and
5. Organizes continuing professional development activities and identify means
to fund and sustain the same.
7. Accreditors
Accreditors shall have the power and responsibility to:
1. review applications for providers and courses for pre-accreditation;
2. review the appropriateness of continuing education units allocated for courses by
providers;
7
3. monitor compliance of providers with this directive and applicable guidelines and
recommend appropriate administrative measures to be taken by the Authority; and
4. Investigate complaints and recommend appropriate administrative measures to be
taken by the Authority.
8. Providers
Providers shall:
1. develop and provide need based continuing professional development courses;
2. assign a course coordinator for each course and, if relevant, assign facilitators;
3. meet agreed educational quality requirements in course design and delivery;
4. publicize courses accurately with sufficient information as per the relevant
guideline;
5. issue an attendance certificate containing necessary information in accordance with
the applicable guideline;
6. keep a record reflecting completion of activity and shall retain these for a period of
five years;
7. report continuing professional development activities periodically as per the
applicable guideline to the Authority;
8. amend, where necessary, accredited courses in accordance with changing
circumstances; and
9. apply for license renewal to an Accreditor every five year.
9. Professional Associations
Professional associations:
a. may serve as an Accreditor and/or a provider;
b. recommend credit point requirements for the respective profession; and
c. Participate in need assessment and propose continuing professional
development activities in their respective profession.
8
10. Health Professionals
1. Every health professional shall:
a. judge the educational value of the activity or course and its appropriateness for
the learning needs;
b. complete the specified continuing education units of activities in each year;
c. ensure possession of a certificate of attendance for every activities attended and
keep these for at least five years; and
2. Health professional who is registered in more than one profession shall be required
to obtain continuing education units for each profession. If a continuing
professional development activity which is relevant for both professions,
continuing education units may be considered for both professions.
11. Employer
Employers shall:
1. undertake continuing professional development need assessment for their health
workers and, where appropriate, report the result of their need assessment to the
relevant organ;
2. avail adequate time for their employees continuing professional development
activities; and
3. May solicit fund for their employee’s continuing professional development activities.
9
Part Three
Accreditation and, Credit Allocation and Requirements
12. Application to be an Accreditor
1. Potential Accreditor fulfilling the criteria set in accordance with this directive
and applicable guidelines may apply to the Authority to function as an
Accreditor.
2. The Accreditor shall fulfill appropriate infrastructure requirements in accordance
with the relevant guideline.
3. The Committee shall review the application, weigh against set criteria and may
approve, recommend correction or deny application made in accordance with
sub-article (1) of this article. Approval of application shall be valid for five years.
13. Provider accreditation
1. The Accreditor shall establish a designated Panel consisting of relevant
professionals to perform its pre-accreditation responsibilities.
2. A record of all applications received, as well as their outcomes and a record of the
minutes of all Panel’s meetings shall be kept for at least five years.
3. Provider accreditation application shall be made to the Accreditor 3 months prior
to the start of the course.
4. The Accreditor shall review the application, weigh against set criteria and may
approve, recommend correction or deny pre-accreditation.
5. In case where contentious applications arise the case shall be referred to the
Committee.
6. The Authority shall review the pre-accreditation document and may approve,
recommend modification or deny accreditation. If approved, Authority shall
register and certify the provider and the accreditation shall be valid for five years.
7. Accreditation shall be renewed against evidence that provider is continuing to meet
the requirements of Accreditation and shall provide an updated version of the
documentation submitted for Accreditation 2 months prior to license date of
expiry.
10
14. Course accreditation
1. Any provider requiring course accreditation shall fill accreditation form prepared
by the Authority in accordance with Annex A and submit with all relevant
documentation to the course Accreditor. This application shall be submitted at
least three months before the anticipated date of implementation of the course.
2. The Accreditor shall check the completeness of the application; assign
application number and a professional category to the application after reviewing
criteria in accordance with the applicable guideline.
3. The course Accreditor may pre-accredit, recommend correction or deny
accreditation. If the Accreditor pre-accredits the course it shall forward the same
with all required documentation to the Authority for approval.
4. The Authority, upon receipt of the application in accordance with sub-article (3)
of this article, may approve the course and its credit value designated by the
provider, recommend correction or deny accreditation.
5. Where it is necessary to request expert review, the Accreditor may request such
review from an expert who shall not be an author or presenter of the program,
employee of the course provider or in any way would be in conflict of interest.
15. Credit allocation and requirement
1. Credit points may only be counted if the course received is accredited by course
Accreditor, approved by the Authority and found relevant to the applicants
practice.
2. All health professionals shall be required to earn at least 30 credit units per year
and 150 credit units per five years to get a re-licensure..
3. Notwithstanding to sub-article (2) of this article professional associations may
recommend a higher credit points requirement for their specific professional
category.
4. Continuing education unit allocation and related issues shall be done in
accordance with applicable guideline.
11
Part Four
Miscellaneous
16. Conflict of interest
If an Accreditor is likely to benefit financially or otherwise by recommending an
application for provider or course accreditation every effort shall be made to make
sure such application to be referred to an independent Accreditor for pre-accreditation
review.
17. Courses or Activities taken abroad
Credit point recognition for courses or activities taken abroad shall be done in
accordance with relevant guideline.
18. Service fee
1. The Authority may request service fee in accordance with applicable directive or
practice.
2. The Accreditor may charge reasonable fee for the services it provide.
19. Uncovered matters
Any issue related to continuing professional development and which is not addressed
by this directive shall be done in accordance with relevant guidelines adopted by the
Authority or the Ministry.
20. Inapplicable laws
No directive or practice shall be applicable in so far as it is contradictory with
provisions provided under this directive.
21. Effective date
This directive shall enter into force one year from the date of signature by the Director
General of the authority.
Done at addis Ababa, this 15th day, March, 2013.
Yehulu Denekew
Director General
Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Authority
12
