"The use of poster presentations is an ideal opportunity to disseminate research findings and clinical innovations.”

Background and Overview

Across Africa, healthcare workers are leading meaningful efforts to improve quality, safety, and patient-centeredness in care delivery. Many of these initiatives remain undocumented, limiting opportunities for shared learning across regions and health systems. Scientific poster presentations are one way to bridge this gap, showcasing frontline innovation, encouraging knowledge exchange, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

This session featured poster presentations from across Africa, with submissions from Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, and Cameroon. A total of 26 posters were received, and 14 were showcased live at the forum. They spanned themes of patient safety, co-production, and leadership for QI among others, highlighting the breadth of efforts underway to transform healthcare systems.

Session 7 also highlighted how the ACQUIRE QI Experiential Leadership Program transitioned from theoretical training into hands-on application. Building on earlier courses that reached hundreds of hospitals, the program placed QI teams at the center of real projects within their facilities, allowing them to directly test and refine improvement methods in practice.

The initiative revealed systemic issues that had previously gone unnoticed or underreported. Medical errors, for example, were found to be more frequent than captured by existing systems, largely due to fear of blame. By framing reporting as a valued activity rather than a punitive one, the program fostered a shift toward a culture of safety, where staff felt encouraged to raise concerns and act as champions for patient protection.

Equally important was the practical use of QI tools. Process maps, Pareto charts, and run charts were not just theoretical exercises but became everyday methods for diagnosing problems and tracking progress. Teams reported that seeing real-time data helped motivate staff and reinforced the value of structured problem-solving. The program’s 16-week structure, requiring consistent weekly engagement, proved effective in strengthening teamwork and building local leadership capacity.

Beyond the technical tools, the program provided an ecosystem of mentorship, coaching, and peer-to-peer learning tailored to African healthcare contexts. This supportive framework demonstrated that, with the right guidance and accountability, frontline teams can embed improvement into daily routines and sustain meaningful change. The overarching lesson was clear: everyday healthcare work can and should be approached as QI work, ensuring continuous progress toward safer, more resilient health systems.

Presentations Done

General Hospital, Odan, from Lagos Nigeria described a project to reduce patient waiting times in the cardiology clinic. Patients were spending an average of four hours to access care, and the team set a goal to reduce this by 25%. Within weeks, they achieved a 15% reduction and planned to sustain and expand these improvements through staff training, monitoring, and stronger stakeholder engagement.

Federal Medical Care, Epe, from Lagos, Nigeria presented a project on strengthening adherence to management protocols for preeclampsia and eclampsia at the Federal Medical Center. At baseline, adherence was around 55%. Through the use of a structured quality improvement model, root cause analysis, and change ideas, adherence levels improved significantly within a nine-month period, directly contributing to better maternal outcomes.

Lamu County Referral Hospital from Kenya shared findings from a patient-centered care survey covering outpatient, inpatient, and maternity settings. The survey measured dimensions such as dignity, privacy, coordinated care, communication, and informed consent. Results revealed service gaps, including instances of abuse and weak communication. In response, the facility began advocacy on patient-centeredness and introduced posters to raise awareness and promote respectful, dignified care.

Lifecare Hospital from Kenya presented a project using a five-step root cause analysis model to address test overutilization, focusing particularly on plasma transferrin. Clinicians often ordered overlapping tests without clear understanding of their differences, leading to unnecessary costs and delays. The team responded by creating educational posters and holding lectures for staff, which improved knowledge and reduced unnecessary testing, ultimately safeguarding both patients and the facility.

Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital from Kenya presented the use of Early Warning Scores to address delays in transferring deteriorating patients from general wards to the ICU. The scoring system was introduced into routine vital signs documentation in September 2024, enabling staff to recognize deterioration earlier and expedite ICU admissions, improving patient safety.

Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital from Kenya also shared a project focused on enhancing patient satisfaction in the medical ward through improved communication about treatment and aftercare. A baseline analysis revealed unclear explanations and confusion among patients. Using process maps, fishbone analysis, Pareto charts, and run charts, the team identified root causes and introduced patient education sessions and communication skills sensitization for staff. These interventions significantly improved patient understanding of treatment and discharge instructions.

AIC Kijabe Hospital from Kenya presented work on blood culture contamination in a WHO-supported antimicrobial resistance surveillance study. The team observed that over 70% of blood cultures had no yield, and less than 10% grew true pathogens, with many contaminated samples. Recognizing the risks of overtreatment, undertreatment, and antimicrobial resistance, the project emphasized stricter processes to improve culture quality and accuracy.

A presentation from Kihara Sub-County Hospital from Kenya described efforts to reduce HIV-exposed infant (HEI) seroconversion at the institution. Historically, the hospital accounted for more than half of HEI positives in KIambaa Sub-county. After introducing a CQI project in February 2023, the hospital reported no new seroconversions for over a year, demonstrating sustained success that could be scaled to other facilities.

Halisi Family Hospital from Kenya presented a project aimed at increasing medical error reporting. The facility had almost zero reporting at baseline, largely due to a culture of fear and blame. The team introduced initiatives to encourage open discussion of errors and aimed to build a learning culture where reporting was viewed as an opportunity for improvement rather than punishment, directly strengthening patient safety.

Kijabe Hospital presented a project to increase antenatal care (ANC) attendants and deliveries through maternal and newborn health training. While ANC attendance was relatively high, this was not reflected in delivery rates. By introducing training and targeted strategies, the team sought to close this gap and improve continuity of maternal care.

Kahawa West Health Center presented a project applying the Kaizen approach to strengthen primary health care systems. Using 5S and value stream mapping, the team reduced patient turnaround time from 120 minutes to 45 minutes, while client satisfaction rose from 35% to 75%. The Kaizen approach also fostered a culture of continuous improvement within the facility.

A presentation from Nairobi County described the use of Health Service Delivery Awards to improve care. Anchored in the Kenya Quality Model for Health, the awards were designed to inspire facilities to adopt higher standards of care. Participation grew from zero in 2017 to over 100 facilities in 2018, with the initiative fostering a culture of quality improvement across the county.

Lwala Community Alliance presented a project to promote holistic and dignified care in primary health and maternal and neonatal services. The initiative emphasized achieving patient safety and quality indicators to build trust and confidence among communities, ensuring care was dignified at every level.

Finally, Likoni Sub-County Hospital from Kenya presented work on improving client experiences for those receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services. Starting from a baseline satisfaction of 44%, the project introduced interventions such as pre-recorded audio messages, pamphlets, WhatsApp chats, and knowledge-sharing sessions between clients and providers. Within four months, client satisfaction reached the 90% target, supported by a new standard operating procedure to sustain progress.

Key Themes

Taken together, the 14 presentations highlighted multiple cross-cutting themes. 

A key theme was the critical role of culture change, particularly in fostering openness and reducing fear of reporting errors. Projects such as Halisi Family Hospital’s showed that encouraging staff to report without blame is essential for learning and safer care. 

Another common thread was the importance of communication and patient engagement, seen in projects on patient satisfaction, discharge communication, ANC uptake, and PrEP services. Effective communication not only improved satisfaction but also directly contributed to better health outcomes. 

The presentations also demonstrated the power of structured QI methodologies, from Kaizen to root cause analysis, to drive measurable improvements in both patient outcomes and health system efficiency, even in resource-constrained settings.

Post-Presentation Discussions

The discussions highlighted the difficulty of raising uncomfortable truths through QI projects, such as long waiting times, gaps in patient communication, or the underreporting of medical errors. Without strong leadership support, these findings risk being ignored or perceived as blame; with supportive leadership, however, they can be reframed as opportunities for systemic improvement.

Another issue raised was the validation of tools like patient surveys. Structured questionnaires built around themes of patient-centeredness must be carefully tested to ensure they capture meaningful feedback and remain relevant to facility and county-level priorities.

Coaching and mentorship also emerged as critical enablers. Experiential learning bridges the gap between theoretical understanding of QI tools and their practical application. Methods such as run charts, Pareto analyses, and root cause models were seen as particularly effective in helping teams track progress, motivate staff, and embed improvement as part of everyday practice. Coaching was credited with building confidence, strengthening teamwork, and ensuring QI projects achieved measurable impact.

Finally, the importance of documentation was underscored. Scientific posters serve as tools for learning, collaboration, and advancing a shared culture of quality and safety across African health systems.

Sustaining the Momentum at the Frontline of Healthcare

The session underscored a vital truth: frontline innovation is happening across Africa every day, but it must be documented, shared, and scaled if it is to transform health systems. From reducing waiting times and preventing HIV transmission to building cultures of safety and co-production, these projects demonstrate what is possible when healthcare teams are empowered with QI tools, mentorship, and a safe space to learn.

Sustainability is key to ensuring that quality improvement projects are not one-time events, but a lasting way of life within healthcare institutions. By fostering collaboration, sharing lessons, and building strong leadership capacity, we can sustain momentum and accelerate progress toward safer, more reliable, and patient-centered healthcare across Africa.

“Short term- improve patient satisfaction with 70% positive feedback through survey in Peadiatric ward  Long term – Attain certificate on quality improvement from a recognized healthcare quality board within the year,ensure high quality care and clinical services – Attend physically 2026 acquire leadership conference”

Across Africa, healthcare teams are generating powerful evidence of how quality improvement transforms systems. These efforts are building a learning culture and proving that improvement is measurable and sustainable.

Key Takeaways

Evidence of impact strengthens confidence and investment in improvement initiatives.

Data and storytelling together demonstrate the real value of QI work.

Recognizing diverse QI themes fosters a holistic approach to healthcare transformation.

From Silence to Safety: Scientific Posters on Quality Improvement