Advanced Field Epidemiology Training in PNG: Workshop 2
The inaugural cohort of Advanced Field Epidemiology Training in Papua New Guinea (aFETPNG) fellows returned to Port Moresby in March 2022 to participate in the much-anticipated second workshop of the program. Following significant delays due to the COVID-19 emergency, 17 fellows came together to continue their field epidemiology training and to share results of their field projects with their colleagues, local faculty and international FEiA faculty.
Once fellows had returned to their workplaces, we connected with Maggie William (in East Sepik Province [ESP]) and Israel Naraman (in the National Capital District [NCD]) to hear more about their experience of the workshop and as advanced FETP fellows:
In your experience, how was the recent aFETPNG training? What did you enjoy the most?
Israel Naraman
Maggie: The recent training was very intensive but interesting. I found every content of the training package to be very important and have really enhanced my knowledge and skills as a field epidemiologist.
I enjoyed the most the sessions on the intra and after-action review, group discussions and presentation with sharing of experiences from other fellows. I feel I have learnt a lot from these.
Israel: The recent aFETPNG was the best experience for me. The teaching style or methods were easy to understand and facilitated my learning. What I enjoyed the most is the data analysis sessions using Epi Info, 2x2 table, calculating relative risk, odds ratio, Confidence Interval, P value and the interpretation of the information.
What are the key things that you learned from this training? What skills are you most excited to implement in the field?
Maggie: The key things I have learnt in the recent training are;
- Analytical epidemiology and advance data analysis. I found this topic very interesting and I am confident now to do both descriptive and analytical data analysis using Excel, Epi Info and the Power BI.
- The process of developing the intervention project based on the findings of my field research study, communicating it well through project proposal and develop a survey.
- Communication Skills
I am more interested in implementing the data analysis skills.
Israel: One of the skills I want to put into use is the data analysis and interpretation skill.
What is your intervention and how do you feel about doing your intervention project now you are back in the field? What do you hope the outcome of your intervention is?
Maggie: My intervention project is on ‘Evaluating provision of isolation pack as an intervention to improve COVID-19 home isolation practices.’ Based on the results of my field research project on enablers and barriers to isolation practices, 100% of the study population did not comply due to lack of support to access food, medicine and other basic needs.
Home isolation practices still remains an effective strategy in preventing spread of the COVID-19 infection. There is possibility of new variants emerging with potential of increased transmissibility and virulence which may reduce the vaccine efficacy.
Israel: My intervention project is about 'Addressing the barriers at Triage and Triage Reporting of COVID-19 suspected cases in NCD, April to June 2022'.
I am excited to implement this intervention because having a triage process in place will ensure detection of COVID-19 suspected cases as well as reduce or prevent transmission within the health care facility.
So much has happened since the previous workshop in October 2019! What do you feel most proud of doing during the COVID-19 response using skills you learned from aFETPNG?
Maggie William
Maggie: I would say, COVID-19 is a blessing in disguise in building my capacity as a field epidemiologist.
It has provided the opportunity to implement the skills I have learnt both in the intermediate and advanced field epidemiology training.
I was so proud that with the FETP skills I am able and very confident to raised my hands to support my provincial team in the response. I did provide some directions on what to do in COVID-19 surveillance when most were confuse what to do.
I put in place a COVID-19 case definition, a line-list and designed flow chart to guide identifying COVID-19 cases and their contact. So I helped put in place the provincial COVID-19 surveillance system before receiving the standard guidelines from National Department of Health. I am the second lead person in COVID-19 surveillance with the provincial response team and have stepped in to lead the provincial Rapid response team when we had the first 2 COVID-19 cases in ESP.
I did not attend the Rapid Response Training but the aFETP training on disease outbreak investigation have helped me a lot.
I am proud to that my involvement in the response have provide confidence to ESP Health Authority management and have made them see the importance of FETP training.
Israel: In the initial phase before a COVID-19 was detected in PNG, I was part of the team working after hours monitoring all persons of interest entering our ports. And when COVID-19 was detected, I was now part of the surveillance team to go into the community to verify COVID-19 cases before being re-called to ensure other routine programs did not collapse.
Back in their respective workplaces across 13 provinces, fellows now commence implementing and monitoring their intervention projects in the areas of health system strengthening, maternal health, vaccine-preventable diseases and communicable diseases including COVID-19. They will then evaluate their projects and make recommendations for impactful public health action.
aFETPNG fellows and faculty, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, March 2022
We appreciate and are so proud of the immense dedication and hard work demonstrated by each of the aFETPNG fellows to persevere with their projects during this very challenging time. The fellows showed commitment to producing quality research, whilst also taking lead roles in the COVID-19 response all across PNG. We were delighted to not only hear their important research findings, but see the growth in confidence many have experienced since workshop one in October 2019.
We look forward to welcoming the fellows back in June 2022 to the final workshop for this cohort of aFETPNG, where they will present their final results to their colleagues, faculty and to public health leaders in Papua New Guinea.
If you’d like to find out more about aFETPNG, please visit the program page here.