Twenty-eight participants from Western Province undertook the Paediatric Pocket Book training last week.
Funded by UNICEF, the training was facilitated by the University of Melbourne Centre together with the National Referral Hospital.
The training was part of a series of trainings being held across the country and focused on providing additional training to participants on the management of common childhood illnesses as part of the millennium development goals in reducing the mortality rate of children under 5 years old.
Dr Coen Buttens of Centre of International Child Health explained that by having a systematic approach to identifying children who are unwell, they would be able to improve in having a quick evident based treatment altogether, helping towards encouraging improved survival and outcomes for children.
And by doing this they hope to reduce the mortality rate for children in the country.
Buttens said the way they delivered the training has changed much over the years through supportive research from the University on Melbourne, and says the trainings given now are more dynamic and focused on group discussions, giving participants the opportunity to share more of their own experiences in looking after children.
Participants praised funders and organisers for making it possible for such training to be available to them, and requested that more of such trainings are made available in the future as they feel that a week is not enough to cover the whole course properly.
Buttens thanked the Western provincial government, UNICEF, Ministry of Health and Medical services and the University of Melbourne for their support in providing this important program.
He also thanked the participants for their participation and experience and said he had been extremely impressed by their skills and knowledge base and their diverse range of skills.
The pocket book training was developed in 2005 and Solomon Islands is one of the target countries who have begun using the book regularly.
The pediatric pocket book training was conducted in KiraKira earlier this year and is planned to be held in Taro around October later this year.
By TERRENCE ZIRU
Stringer
Gizo
