One of the Diabetes Awareness and Care (DAC) project objectives is to strengthen the technical capacity of frontline health workers in providing primary care for Type II Diabetes Mellitus. In achieving this objective, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), in partnership with the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) division of the Imo State Ministry of Health (SMoH), convened a two-day refresher training and a one-day data review meeting for health workers in Owerri Municipal and Mbaitoli Local Government Areas of Imo State, who constituted the first batch of participants for the training exercise.
These engagements took place between 16th-18th February 2021 at Greatwood Hotel, Port Harcourt road, Owerri, Imo State. 84 persons attended the training, comprising health workers from 28 facilities and Center for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) representatives- the community-based organization partner. Also present at the meeting was the Director for Public Health, Imo SMoH, Dr. Austin Okeji, and the Executive Secretary of the Imo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Rev Sr. Dr. Maria Joaness Uzoma.
This refresher training session aimed to reinforce knowledge about diabetes, predisposing factors, prevention, screening, care, and referrals. Also, health workers were trained on using the project tools and participated in the review of the project data. The training modules focused on primary care of diabetes, including predisposing factors, prevention, screening, care, and referral of patients to secondary health facilities. Health workers were also trained on the use of project data tools and data management processes.
Role play on patient counselling and education with HSDF staff and one of the participants
Role play on screening for Diabetes and Hypertension
On the other hand, the data review meeting provided an opportunity for a collective performance review of the DAC project indicators. Health workers had the opportunity to visualize their facility data (through pie charts and line graphs); understand trends and discuss project implementation status– referral rates, screening rates, etc.
HSDF staff facilitating a session on the proper use of data management tools
Cross-section of participants at the training during the data tool use practice session
The DAC project is a three-year project being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and HSDF in the Federal Capital Territory and Imo State. In Imo State, the project commenced in April 2019. It is currently being implemented in 56 health facilities, across seven LGAs and their surrounding communities.
At the commencement of the project, HSDF trained health workers from the DAC project facilities on primary care of diabetes- including diabetes counselling, screening, referral of clients to secondary health centers, project data tools, and data management processes. Besides, staff of the NCD division of the Imo SMoH and the SPHCDA were also trained and have become state mentors.
Subsequently, to ensure continued technical support to health workers, mentors visit participating health facilities to conduct on-site, hands-on support to reinforce health workers’ knowledge. This quarterly activity held continuously since the start of the project until it was temporarily affected by the COVID-19 lockdown and movement restrictions.
Due to staff attrition challenges despite several facility step-down training sessions, it became imperative to conduct a second batch of training for health workers to update and reinforce knowledge.
HSDF will continue to collaborate with Imo State stakeholders to identify capacity gaps and ensure that capacity building for NCDs for health workers is strengthened.
Health workers, staff of Imo SMoH, Imo SPHCDA, representatives of CFHI and HSDF
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Grants and Business Development Specialist to join our organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, developing grant proposals, and fostering partnerships with potential donors and stakeholders (regional and global). This role plays a vital part in securing funds and resources to support our organization’s mission and projects.
The consultant (working with the Accelerator team) will collect results from the tool, organize a meeting with stakeholders to discuss results from the tool, and produce a report on key findings and recommendations from the tool to be shared publicly.
We are currently in search of an experienced Public Health professional in Senegal to work on the anticipated Nutrition Capacity Development and Financing Platform and provide technical assistance to elevate nutrition financing and strengthen local capacity to support these efforts. The Associate must be bilingual (English and French).
