Landmark ENHI–IDM Agreement Set to Transform Health Professional Development in Eswatini

BY SIBUSISO ZWANE 

MANZINI – In what could be termed as landmark agreement for the health sector in Eswatini, ENHI and IDM have signed a strategic MoU aimed at professionalizing the sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Eswatini Nazarene Health Institutions (ENHI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mazwi Mavuso and Institute of Development Management (IDM) Eswatini Country Director Karabo Baipidi at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital on Wednesday 10 June 2026.

ENHI is a faith-based institution established in 1926 and over the years, has grown into one of the country’s largest non-profit making healthcare institutions, currently contributing over 40 per cent of healthcare services nationwide. Through facilities; the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital – a 350-bed regional referral and teaching hospital and a network of 20 community health clinics across all four regions of Eswatini, ENHI collectively serves over 500 000 people annually.

The MoU is aimed at strengthening collaboration in health-related academic program development, capacity building, research, consultancy, work-integrated learning and community engagement.

In terms of developing health-related academic programs, the institutions will collaborate on curriculum development; joint development and industry input into identified academic qualifications. ENHI shall recommend industry experts to participate in the Curriculum Development Groups and peer review process, while IDM Eswatini is expected to ensure academic governance, quality assurance and regulatory compliance of all programs.

During the signing ceremony, the ENHI CEO said as an institution they view the MoU as an exciting one since both ENHI and IDM Eswatini are innovational establishments. This, he said, is because the institutions can leverage on the ground that has been laid and add more health-related programs that will benefit the health sector and the nation at large.   

“This MoU is just setting the ground for future engagements and partnerships between the academic institution and health sector,” Mavuso added.

The CEO also stated that the signing of the MoU reflects a shared commitment to developing a highly skilled, competent and future-ready health workforce capable of meeting the evolving needs of the nation.

Again, he said through this strategic partnership, ENHI and IDM Eswatini will work together to advance professional excellence, innovation and knowledge creation within the health sector, while creating meaningful learning opportunities that bridge academia and practice.

“Together, we are investing in people, strengthening institutions and building a healthier future for Eswatini,” Mavuso said.

On the same note, IDM Eswatini Country Director Karabo Baipidi said they have formalized an MoU with ENHI – a partnership that will amongst others, open structured work-integrated learning opportunities for students enrolled in the Diploma and Degree in Emergency Medical Care programs being developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health to create a clear and credible career progression pathway for the Emergency Medical Care cadre.

He said this partnership reflects IDM Eswatini’s conviction that quality higher education is built not only in classrooms, but alongside the practitioners and institutions that deliver essential services to our communities every day.

“The new programs being developed form part of a broader and ambitious institutional transformation at IDM Eswatini, anchored in IDM’s Transformation Plan,” the country director said.

He added that central to this transformation is the impending establishment of new schools, including the School of Health Management, which will serve as a center of excellence for health leadership and professional development across the public and private health sectors. He said this school will deliver an innovative portfolio of short courses specifically designed to meet documented skills gaps in Eswatini’s health system, including Leadership and Management for the Health Sector, Procurement and Supply Chain for Health and Monitoring and Evaluation for Health Professionals.

Moreover, Baipidi said IDM Eswatini’s transformation is grounded in a clear national purpose: to equip Eswatini with the human capital its development agenda demands. He emphasized that by building academic structures that respond directly to sector needs, forging strategic institutional partnerships, and creating pathways that allow public servants to grow within their professions, they are positioning the institution as the engine of capacity for the professionalization of the public service. In that regard, he said they are excited about the partnership with ENHI, which itself is a credible and learning healthcare services provider.