Evaluation of an international training course to build programmatic capacity for tuberculosis control

Abstract

We evaluated the international training course of the Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Kiyose, Japan, by e-mailing structured questionnaires to participants who attended the course from 2001 to 2007. Of 62 responding participants, 34 developed action plan projects (APPs) and 28 developed operations research projects (ORPs). Among respondents drafting APPs, 27 (79%) started implementing projects, and 24 (88%) completed over half of their planned activities. Among respondents drafting ORPs, 11 (39%) started projects but no scientific papers were published. The main reasons for the failure to implement ORPs were due to lack of time, funds, and disapproval by supervisors. A sequential training model may better address barriers to teaching and assisting ORPs.