The Union Training and Education
Monthly ‘round-up’ news item – March 2023
Specialized training in clinical and programmatic management of DR-TB in Eritrea
In low-resource settings, the Union has a proven history of collaborating closely with our partners to create training programs that are tailored to their team's specific needs and result in successful outcomes. Find out how we worked together with the Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (PMDT) in Eritrea.
The challenge
Following its launch in 2011, PMDT services were centralised within one site which covered the whole country. Patients remained here until culture-negative.
The National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) in Eritrea is working towards the expansion and decentralization of PMDT services to increase access and availability of treatment to communities. As such, the NTP identified a need for specialised training for staff working in the new decentralized PMDT centres.
The Union approach
In September 2022, The Union delivered the first national course on the clinical and programmatic management of DR-TB, funded by the Global Fund TB Grant for Eritrea.
The intensive course consisted of five days of comprehensive training. This included 18 academic lectures, seven practical exercises, six case study reviews and a visit to the national reference DR-TB clinic.
The 30 participants included physicians from across the country, as well as key national decision-makers – who were given an understanding of the clinical and programmatic management of DR-TB, as well as addressing complications using data-driven insights, and real-life clinical case studies.
The results
The training was hugely successful, strengthening Eritrea in terms of both clinical practice, and programmatic and policy management.
In terms of course satisfaction from the participants:
- 100% of participants said the training was excellent or good
- 91% would recommend the course to their peers
- 72% felt confident in applying the skills acquired during the training to their daily work
The Union team remains in touch with the NTP of Eritrea, offering continuous follow-up communications and support.
For more information about customised training with The Union, or to enquire about a tailored course for your organisation, please click the yellow button below.