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. 2023 Nov 9:46:81.
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.46.81.38588. eCollection 2023.

Lessons learned from early implementation of the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program in Nigeria, 2019 - 2021

Audrey Rachlin  1 , Oluwasegun Joel Adegoke  1 , Ester Sikare  1 , Olorunsogo Bidemi Adeoye  2 , Edward Dagoe  1 , Asekun Adeyelu  1 , Herman Tolentino  3 , Jan MacGregor  4 , Samuel Obasi  5 , Gabriel Adah  2 , Abdullahi Bulama Garba  5 , Angela Ukpojo Abah  2 , Josiah Friday  2 , Ferdinand Oyiri  6 , Angela Montesanti Porter  1 , Lois Olajide  6 , Idongesit Wilson  2 , Ramatu Usman  2 , Nnamdi Usifoh  2 , Olasoji Fasogbon  2 , Richard Franka  1 , Margherita Ghiselli  1 , Patrick Nguku  2 , Ndadilnasiya Waziri  2 , Eugene Lam  1 , Omotayo Bolu  1
Affiliations

Lessons learned from early implementation of the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program in Nigeria, 2019 - 2021

Audrey Rachlin et al. Pan Afr Med J. .

Abstract

Introduction: the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program is an applied apprenticeship program that aims to improve informatics capacity at various levels of the national health system and create a sustainable informatics workforce. Nigeria adapted the GEEKS model in 2019 as a mechanism to strengthen data quality and use of routine immunization (RI) and vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance data among Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) staff. Since the start of the GEEKS-EPI program, there has not been a formal assessment conducted to measure the extent to which GEEKS-EPI has been able to build local informatics workforce capacity and strengthen RI and VPD surveillance (VPDS) data quality and use in Nigeria.

Methods: we conducted a qualitative assessment to inform the extent to which GEEKS-EPI has been able to build informatics skillsets to enhance local workforce capacity, foster collaboration across government agencies, and create a sustainable informatics workforce in Nigeria. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were held with GEEKS-EPI supervisors, mentors, and mentees from previous GEEKS-EPI cohorts.

Results: while there were challenges reported during early implementation of the GEEKS-EPI program in Nigeria, particularly early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, participants and supervisors reported that the fellowship provided a framework for building a sustainable RI and VPDS informatics workforce through regular mentorship, peer-to-peer exchanges and Subject Matter Expert (SME)-led trainings.

Conclusion: lessons learned from early implementation of GEEKS-EPI in Nigeria will help to inform its implementation in other countries, where strengthened national RI and VPDS informatics capacity is the primary objective.

Keywords: Capacity building; E-health; Nigeria; district health Information system; expanded program on immunization; public health informatics; routine immunization; vaccine preventable disease surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A) FETP training pyramid model [4]; B) GEEKS-EPI structural framework and 3-tiered model adapted from the FETP
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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