Medical Curricula on Intimate Partner Violence in Mozambique

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study described in this paper is to screen medical curricula in relation to the attention paid to intimate partner violence, by applying a framework derived from the international literature.
Material and Methods: We screened curricula of five Mozambican medical schools based on a state-of-the-art intimate partner violence curriculum framework. The latter framework was based on a review of the literature.
Results: Few medical schools of Mozambique could be identified addressing intimate partner violence in their curriculum. When tackled, intimate partner violence content is mostly dealt within the context of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Community Health and Forensic Medicine rotations. Intimate partner violence contents are integrated as stand-alone modules in some specific subjects. In none of the schools, specific teachers teaching intimate partner violence could be identified. No time allocation was specified to address the topic; no teaching and learning strategies could be identified invoking awareness or supporting basic knowledge acquisition; additionally, hardly any information about related assessment methods was found. Only in one medical school was the subject part of the formal curriculum.
Discussion: Intimate partner violence content is hardly and inconsistently addressed. The limited intimate partner violence content tracked in the Mozambican medical schools’ curricula, mainly addresses violence in general, for instance as identified in Orthopaedics or Surgery contexts and sexual violence in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The inclusion of elements of intimate partner violence in the curriculum remains restricted, questioning the impact of medical education of future practitioners’ competencies.
Conclusion: Critical changes are needed in medical curricula to match the current epidemiology of intimate partner violence in Mozambique.