CHOLERA TRAINING WORKSHOP
FOR
MALAWI NATIONAL FACILITATORS TEAM
4-5 NOVEMBER 2002
As an essential part of the cholera control strategy developed by the National Cholera Task Force, a National Team of Facilitators was recruited and brought together on 4th and 5th November 2002 at Kalikuti Hotel (Lilongwe).
Participants
The participants were chosen from various professional groups: Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), district health and environmental officers, Malawi College of Health Sciences and NGOs. See Annex 1 for detailed list of participants.
Objectives of the workshop
The overall objective of the exercise was to achieve a functional and updated training force that could quickly be deployed throughout the country in order to train the health workers on cholera control and case management.
This goal could be achieved through a series of specific objectives:
- To identify the 40 individuals that compose the training group;
- To revise thoroughly the available updated training material with them;
- To provide every member of the training group with the same training tools in order to guarantee standardization of the message;
- To stress the crucial areas for cholera control and cholera case management;
- To develop a specific timetable for the subsequent cascade training sessions at district level;
- To introduce the IDSR related reporting forms.
Facilitators of the workshop
Dr. H. Somanje, Controller of Preventive Services at the MoHP, led the workshop with the support of Dr. W. Tekle (UNICEF), Mr. Bello (Epidemiology Unit), Mr. B. Chandiyamba (WHO) and Dr. T. de la Torre (WHO).
Dr. Somanje during one of the training sessions
The participants during one of the exercises
Material and methods
The training material had been adapted from the CDC training presentation and the WHO Epidemic Diarrhoeal disease preparedness and response training manual.
The training modules included theoretical sessions and practical exercises, individual activities, group work and general discussions, trying to convey the message of liveliness and change of pace as key elements to keep focus.
At the end of the workshop each participant was given a copy of all transparencies used during the workshop.
Contents of the workshop
The main modules were:
- Epidemiology of cholera
- Detecting, confirming and reporting cholera epidemics
- Field investigation of a suspected cholera epidemic
- Response to a cholera epidemic
- Clinical management of cholera
- Health education: cholera prevention and control
Practical exercises were used to stress the crucial aspects of the training, namely surveillance and reporting, interpretation of data, correct treatment of severely dehydrated patients and the different strengths and uses of chlorine solutions.
Outcome and follow-up of the workshop
The last session of the workshop was dedicated to the pairing of facilitators and the assigning geographical responsibilities and dates for the training at the districts’ level to start. It was concluded that training sessions will start simultaneously on November 14th 2002 at Nkhotakota, Salima, Ntchisi, Lilongwe, Dezda, Balaka, Mangochi and Thyolo districts. In each district 3 sessions with 30 health workers each will be heald back to back. Each session will last 2 days.
It is expected that by the end of the month of November 2002 1,800 health workers (including nurses, medical assistants and health surveillance assistants) will have gone through the training courses on cholera control in the 20 most affected districts (90 health workers per district).
Further training need are being envisaged at the moment and will be addresses as soon as this first round of training has finalised.
WHO and UNICEF staff will participate in the trainings as observers.