The Union Training and Education
Monthly ‘round-up’ news item – August 2023
Milestone 30th Edition of The Union's International Tuberculosis Training Advances Fight Against TB with Hybrid Learning in Cotonou
Recently, The Union launched the 30th edition of its hugely successful international tuberculosis training course – sharing the latest insights and best practices in the global fight against TB.
Nineteen participants from ten countries attended the launch of this milestone course, which was held in a hybrid format across a period of three months – the first of its kind from The Union for this 30th edition.
About this course
This course was jointly organised by the Union, the Ministry of Health of Benin through its National Tuberculosis Control Program (PNT), the Francophone Africa TB Response Dynamics (DRAF TB), and Action Damien, a national Belgian NGO (non-governmental organisation). It was funded through participants’ registration fees and the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
The first part took place online from March 21st to April 25th, and the second part was held in person from June 26th to June 30th in Cotonou, Benin.
This was the first time The Union had organised a hybrid-style course – which allowed for maximised engagement between course participants and Union faculty:
- The online component offered opportunities for independent exploration, knowledge building, self-reflection, and asynchronous discussions.
- Meanwhile, the in-person sessions facilitated direct interaction among peers and instructors – not only generating valuable feedback, but fostering collaborative working relationships.
The launch event provided an ideal opportunity for healthcare professionals and other key stakeholders to share ideas, experiences and the latest cutting-edge research on TB and lung disease prevention, detection and control.
The in-person element of the course also enabled participants to attend TB clinics and engage in hands-on activities such as supervision exercise. Some participants even got the chance to visit the Supranatural Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis to witness first-hand the latest developments in TB drug resistance surveillance.
Course feedback
The course was received extremely positively by participants, who felt a tangible difference in their skills, knowledge and expertise following training. Here is just some of the feedback we received from course participants:
Dr Berthe Dibor Gueye, a healthcare professional from Sénégal, said: “The training provided by the Union has improved my ability to handle TB cases by strengthening my knowledge and skills in screening and managing tuberculosis using algorithms, understanding childhood tuberculosis, and contextualising various tuberculosis interventions to meet the specific needs of national programmes.”
Dr Eloge Fiomona from the RCA said: “The training provided by the Union on TB and respiratory diseases has improved the quality of my supervision and deepened my understanding of various indicators. It has also allowed me to contemplate new strategies for mentoring and motivating the stakeholders involved in the fight against TB.”
Training with The Union
Established in 1920, The Union is a global membership, technical and scientific organisation led by a faculty of world-renowned lung health experts who are committed to our vision, mission and values.
Our training courses are designed to help healthcare professionals, charities, patient groups, government organisations, donors and funders, policymakers, scientists and other key stakeholders to combat the damaging effects of TB and lung disease.
Find out more about The Union’s upcoming international courses.