MADRID — At the 14th Armenian Medical World Congress in Madrid on July 3-5, the Henar Foundation was highlighted in the progress to transform medical education and strengthen primary care in Armenia. Henar was showcased as an example of how strategic partnerships between the Armenian Diaspora and local institutions can catalyze systemic and sustainable improvements in Armenia’s primary healthcare system.
On the first day of the Congress, Henar cofounder Dr. Arman Voskerchyan moderated the session titled “Health Professions Education: Opportunities for Diaspora-Armenia Partnership.” The session described upgrading models of medical residency education and curriculum development in Armenia. Henar has developed several projects aimed at advancing medical education in Armenia, based on hands-on patient care and evidence-based medicine, to meet international standards. Dr. Aram Kaligian, director of the Boston University – Armenia Medical Partnership, discussed partnering with Henar and the Ministry of Health through the Health for Armenia Foundation’s Healthcare Leadership Program, which was launched in 2024. The Healthcare Leadership Program, of which Henar leads the medical knowledge and skills component, was developed to improve healthcare access and quality in Armenia’s underserved rural communities, and to develop a strong core of highly skilled primary care doctors who will continue to reform and build the Armenian healthcare system in the future.
Dr. Jeff Markuns, director of Boston University’s Global Health Collaborative, discussed BU’s successes in primary healthcare reform in Southeast Asia and southern Africa over the last 25 years, and adapting the model for Armenia. He also described his role as the director of Boston University’s Master’s program in Health Professions Education (HPE), and developing a hybrid degree program set to begin this September for six Armenian doctors. This program aims to empower these leaders with advanced skills, evidence-based education methods, and leadership tools necessary to upgrade Armenia’s medical training system, improve faculty capacity, and ultimately raise the quality of healthcare delivery across the country.
Dr. Henry Louis, Henar program director for the Healthcare Leadership Program and the Master’s in HPE program, described working with Kaligian and Markuns to adapt these models to Armenia, and the challenges that have been overcome.
Finally, Armenia’s Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan joined Voskerchyan, Kaligian, Markuns, Louis and Lorky Libaridian in a Q&A session regarding medical innovation in Armenia and advances in post-graduate medical education.
The following day, Henar’s Community Health Worker Program was highlighted during the session “Preventive Screening: Priority Setting and Development,” moderated by Dr. Kim Hekimian of Columbia University. Louis described his role as Henar program director of the Community Health Worker (CHW) program in Syunik, adapted from the CHW program he helped develop in the West Bank over the past several years. Other highlights included Samvel Kharazyan of the State Health Agency giving an update on Armenia’s progress to providing Universal Health Coverage.
