Message from the Dean

​Since 2001, the Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa (AKU-SONAM EA) has provided high-quality education programmes to working nurses and midwives across the region. Nurses and midwives make up 85% of the health workforce in East Africa and are often the only point of care. Delivering training that properly equips our alumni to address diverse health challenges is, therefore, essential to our objective of improving lives in the communities we serve. 

SONAM EA's academic approach focuses on instilling capacity building in leadership, critical thinking and service innovation, in order to prepare our students to work as leaders in healthcare across East Africa. These core principles are key distinguishers of our graduates, who have transitioned into alumni that demonstrate empathy, problem-solving skills and confidence in the way they serve and practice in their clinics, communities and countries.

Our programmes are adapted to ensure their continued relevance in a world that is grappling with persistently high rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as the increased burden of non-communicable diseases. In the future, these concerning trends will continue to inform our programme development in order to fortify the training that we provide. 

Our alumni are making an impact. They provide compassionate care in order to influence policy and improve the health landscape in East Africa. We are proud of everything our alumni have achieved, inspired by the care they deliver, and humbled by the opportunity to continue to train nurses and midwives in this region. 

Eunice Ndirangu
Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa
The Aga Khan University