Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt
IntroductionResponse to public health emergencies is a big challenge in African countries due to inadequate workforce. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy implemented by African member states of WHO to strengthen capacity for disease surveillance and response at all lev...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| author | Charles Njuguna Abdul Mbawa Ian Njeru Innocent Bright Nuwagira Mohamed Vandi Joseph Sam Kanu James Sylvester Squire Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma Ade Renner Robert Musoke Wilson Gachari Victor Caulker Jane Githuku Gerald Shambira Boukare Bonkoungou Ambrose Talisuna Etien Luc Koua Dick Chamla Zabulon Yoti Abdou Salam Gueye |
| author_facet | Charles Njuguna Abdul Mbawa Ian Njeru Innocent Bright Nuwagira Mohamed Vandi Joseph Sam Kanu James Sylvester Squire Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma Ade Renner Robert Musoke Wilson Gachari Victor Caulker Jane Githuku Gerald Shambira Boukare Bonkoungou Ambrose Talisuna Etien Luc Koua Dick Chamla Zabulon Yoti Abdou Salam Gueye |
| author_sort | Charles Njuguna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionResponse to public health emergencies is a big challenge in African countries due to inadequate workforce. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy implemented by African member states of WHO to strengthen capacity for disease surveillance and response at all levels. Despite successful implementation of IDSR in most countries, one of the challenges that persists is that of inadequate trained workforce competent enough for public health surveillance. Introducing IDSR pre-service curriculum in public health training institutions has therefore been recommended by WHO as one of the strategies to sustainably address the human resource challenge. We report on the process and lessons learnt in Sierra Leone which was the first country to implement the recommendation.MethodsThis was a descriptive study where the process of introducing and implementing IDSR pre-service curriculum in Sierra Leone was documented from 2018 to 2024. Data was collected through observation, documentation and analysis of key processes that took place. These processes included, inter alia, advocacy with public health training institutions, development of the IDSR pre-service curriculum and incorporation of the curriculum into the existing training programs of colleges and universities.ResultsIDSR preservice curriculum was developed and successfully introduced in eight targeted public health training institutions in Sierra Leone from September 2021. Training content was adapted from the 3rd Edition of IDSR technical guidelines developed by WHO in 2019. As at February 2024, more than 4,200 students had started taking IDSR modules in the eight institutions with 2,108 having completed and graduated. During the process, we learned that key enablers to success were government support, good advocacy with the training institutions and training of lecturers on IDSR. Main challenges were the long process of curriculum approval by training institutions and handling of big classes of students without adequate training materials.ConclusionIntroducing IDSR into the preservice curricula of public health training institutions is feasible and can provide a reliable and continuous supply of a trained workforce ready to be utilized for IDSR in Africa. Successful implementation requires advocacy with training institutions as well as regular monitoring of the implementation to maintain good quality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd05164caf8544808b4329d290ec6beb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd05164caf8544808b4329d290ec6beb2025-08-20T01:57:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-12-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14674021467402Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learntCharles Njuguna0Abdul Mbawa1Ian Njeru2Innocent Bright Nuwagira3Mohamed Vandi4Joseph Sam Kanu5James Sylvester Squire6Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma7Ade Renner8Robert Musoke9Wilson Gachari10Victor Caulker11Jane Githuku12Gerald Shambira13Boukare Bonkoungou14Ambrose Talisuna15Etien Luc Koua16Dick Chamla17Zabulon Yoti18Abdou Salam Gueye19World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoCollege of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Country Office, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Country Office, Freetown, Sierra LeoneMinistry of Health, Freetown, Sierra LeoneMinistry of Health, Freetown, Sierra LeoneMinistry of Health, Freetown, Sierra LeoneMinistry of Health, Freetown, Sierra LeoneIndependent Consultant, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Country Office, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Country Office, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Country Office, Freetown, Sierra LeoneIndependent Consultant, Freetown, Sierra LeoneIndependent Consultant, Freetown, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization Liaison Office to African Union, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoIntroductionResponse to public health emergencies is a big challenge in African countries due to inadequate workforce. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy implemented by African member states of WHO to strengthen capacity for disease surveillance and response at all levels. Despite successful implementation of IDSR in most countries, one of the challenges that persists is that of inadequate trained workforce competent enough for public health surveillance. Introducing IDSR pre-service curriculum in public health training institutions has therefore been recommended by WHO as one of the strategies to sustainably address the human resource challenge. We report on the process and lessons learnt in Sierra Leone which was the first country to implement the recommendation.MethodsThis was a descriptive study where the process of introducing and implementing IDSR pre-service curriculum in Sierra Leone was documented from 2018 to 2024. Data was collected through observation, documentation and analysis of key processes that took place. These processes included, inter alia, advocacy with public health training institutions, development of the IDSR pre-service curriculum and incorporation of the curriculum into the existing training programs of colleges and universities.ResultsIDSR preservice curriculum was developed and successfully introduced in eight targeted public health training institutions in Sierra Leone from September 2021. Training content was adapted from the 3rd Edition of IDSR technical guidelines developed by WHO in 2019. As at February 2024, more than 4,200 students had started taking IDSR modules in the eight institutions with 2,108 having completed and graduated. During the process, we learned that key enablers to success were government support, good advocacy with the training institutions and training of lecturers on IDSR. Main challenges were the long process of curriculum approval by training institutions and handling of big classes of students without adequate training materials.ConclusionIntroducing IDSR into the preservice curricula of public health training institutions is feasible and can provide a reliable and continuous supply of a trained workforce ready to be utilized for IDSR in Africa. Successful implementation requires advocacy with training institutions as well as regular monitoring of the implementation to maintain good quality.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1467402/fullintegrateddiseasesurveillanceresponsepre-servicecurriculum |
| spellingShingle | Charles Njuguna Abdul Mbawa Ian Njeru Innocent Bright Nuwagira Mohamed Vandi Joseph Sam Kanu James Sylvester Squire Aminata Tigiedankay Koroma Ade Renner Robert Musoke Wilson Gachari Victor Caulker Jane Githuku Gerald Shambira Boukare Bonkoungou Ambrose Talisuna Etien Luc Koua Dick Chamla Zabulon Yoti Abdou Salam Gueye Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt Frontiers in Public Health integrated disease surveillance response pre-service curriculum |
| title | Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt |
| title_full | Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt |
| title_fullStr | Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt |
| title_short | Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt |
| title_sort | feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in sierra leone the process and lessons learnt |
| topic | integrated disease surveillance response pre-service curriculum |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1467402/full |
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