Last week SafeCare celebrated its 15-year milestone with a hybrid event at the Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. Around 150 people joined us, some in person, others online, to reflect on our journey: the milestones we’ve reached, the impact we’ve had, and the challenges still ahead.
The centrepiece was an online panel discussion with four experts exploring how quality improvement drives performance and how quality data attracts investments.
The panel
- Audrey Obara from Swedfund East Africa got straight to the point: robust quality systems make healthcare providers less risky.
- Elizabeth Wasunna from AAR Health Services brought the operator’s view, explaining what happens when you get quality standards right across a network: patients have better experiences, services become more reliable, and organizations can scale without falling apart.
- Dr. Zeenat Sulaiman Khan from Aga Khan Health Services shared what it’s really like taking quality improvement work from Africa to Asia, including the early hurdles of starting Quality Investment in new markets.
- Charles Dalton from IFC tied it all together: quality and data drive investment decisions, helping investors determine where to allocate resources now and in the future.
Rewarding excellence
At the end of the event, we also presented four awards:
- One to the Lwala Community Health Centre for outstanding commitment to Quality of Care, advancing from SafeCare level 3 in 2017 to level 5 in 2025.
- Three LifeLong awards to Annedien Plantenga (Project Manager), Paul van Ostenberg (Quality Expert & Advisor), and Peter Risha (SafeCare Director Tanzania) for their dedication and contributions over these past 15 years.
looking forward
We’re grateful to all our partners for their trust and collaboration over the years. This journey wouldn’t be possible without the healthcare providers, investors, and organizations who’ve worked alongside us to raise quality standards across Africa and Asia. Thanks also to everyone who participated in the event.