The World Health Organization African regional training course for mid-level immunization managers: lessons and future directions

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) African regional training course for mid-level managers (MLM) of immunization programs launched in 2004, has undergone revisions across the years, to accommodate new developments in the field. In 2016, the WHO African regional office conducted a thorough review of the course materials and delivery methods to document lessons to help improve the course. Some of the gaps included inappropriate selection of trainees, inadequate focus on skills development, heavy reliance on text and presentations, as well as resource limitations to reach a critical mass of learners. The regional office worked with Bull City Learning to redesign the course materials along carefully crafted course objectives and curricula, and to assist facilitators to better deliver the course. In addition, the materials were converted into online learning tools. Within 10 months, a total of 3011 learners were enrolled in the online MLM training platform and earned a total of 9209 certificates. The MLM course will continue to be highly relevant as the immunization area of work expands significantly, with the addition of new vaccines, introduction of new technologies, and expanding opportunities for online learning.

Keywords: Africa; Immunization; MLM; capacity building; mid-level managers; training; vaccine preventable diseases.