THE Public Relations (PR) and Health Promotion (HP) Unit of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is conducting a two-day training that started on Thursday and concludes today, for their staff to be better equipped with the knowledge they need to execute their tasks effectively.

The training delved specifically into ‘epidemiology’, which is said to offer powerful tools such as surveys, surveillance, analysis of programme data, and rapid assessment to quantify the degree to which risk factors and humanitarian interventions affect population health in a crisis.

Conducting the training is epidemiologist, Sasha Walrond.
The Head of PR/HR, Terrence Esseboom explained that the knowledge on epidemiology will help the health practitioners and journalists to be advocates for the voiceless and document their experiences so that future generations can be better prepared to counter, in a much more pre-emptive and efficient manner, the health challenges communities and nations experience.

“While I’m singing the praises of epidemiology I don’t want you to believe that it is a panacea for the myriad challenges endemic in the health sector. There are limitations to the epidemiological tools,” Esseboom said.

He added that “There are shortcomings in the data collection methods, especially in an emergency when access is severely restricted. The restrictions may be entirely due to non-scientific factors such as lack of transportation to reach remote areas; communication difficulties; resource limitations, and public relations (PR) snafus.”

Using the influx of Venezuelans as an illustration, he said that usually in those emergency-type situations, there can be rapid changes in the nutritional and health status, and by the time the appropriate data are collected and analysed, the conclusion and recommendations derived from these analyses may be out of date.

“Participants should not be overawed by the relatively unfamiliar term ‘epidemiology’; though scientific, a healthy dose of common sense helps decode its supposed mysteries,” he advised the participants of the training.

From these two days, Esseboom said that the participants should have better insight into the logistical requirements of a survey; proper techniques for interviewing respondents and collecting biologic specimens; day entry and data cleaning, including setting up the data derived from surveys using complex sampling; presentation of results in a standard fashion; formulation of appropriate conclusions and recommendations; report writing and verbal presentation.

“This training programme is testimony to the fact that the government has not abandoned its vision about the entire nation enjoying the good life. We will continue to invest in upgrading worker’s skills so that all Guyanese can enjoy excellent service from the public sector,” he said.

He also made mention of the ministry’s plans to extend the training next year to include the general media fraternity.