Supporting local capacity for child health

CICH is committed to building strong, collaborative relationships with its partners in the Asian and Pacific regions. Improving child health requires a long-term approach that focuses on development of infra-structre, policy and of human resources. Therefore, building local capacity is fundamental to all of CICH's work.

Papua New Guinea

CICH is committed to supporting the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea in paediatric training. An annual course in paediatrics and child health is run by Trevor Duke, and several post-graduate research projects are also supervised.

Health worker training is an important component of the PNG oxygen system. CICH has supported the local oxygen team in conducting a number of training sessions for nurses and engineers by providing technical input and developing training materials and guidelines.

Recently, we have been collaborating with the PNG MoH in introducing a computerized Paediatric Hospital Recording System in large hospitals in PNG to generate data on the epidemiology of childhood hospitalizations. CICH has also been involved in introducing a surveillance program for Hib meningitis and childhood tuberculosis.

The Solomon Islands

In Solomon Islands most seriously ill children are cared for in provincial hospitals or health centres, where nurses deliver more than 90% of the management. However, there are only 12 trained paediatric nurses in the country and no child health nurse training program. The MHMS is establishing a clinically-orientated post-graduate paediatric nursing course. This will be the first course to base its curriculum on the wide range of available and up-to-date WHO recommendations and the local approach to Child Survival, and will be a model for other countries. The course aims to equip nurses to become clinical and program leaders in their health facilities and surrounding communities. The course is scheduled to begin in February 2010, and should provide a model for other Pacific islands of how to integrate vertical, generic child health initiatives into a holistic training program. This will build a strong foundation for the child health system. CICH is assisting the MHMS with the development of this course. This partnership was awarded a University of Melbourne Vice Chancellor's Knowledge Transfer Grant in 2007

CICH has also been involved in strengthening the local child health information systems. Currently, a system for auditing all cases of child deaths in the country, aimed at identifying and addressing preventable causes of child deaths, is being introduced. At the health facility level, CICH is assisting the local paediatricians and paediatric nurses in implementing a computerized program for recording and analyzing monthly admission data in the National Referral Hospital (NRH).

Fiji

As part of the Fiji Pneumococcal project:

All local staff have been trained in Good Clinical Practice
One staff member was awarded an AusAID Leadership Award Scholarship to undertake a Masters in Public Health
Research assistants have been trained in database design and management
Study nurses have been trained in immunisation techniques, injection safety, well baby checks, and co-ordination of studies
A number of staff have taken on independent research projects

Indonesia

Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta has collaborations with the Royal Children's Hospital dating back 30 years from the time of the discovery of rotavirus as a major cause of childhood diarrhoea. CICH actively supports the Paediatric Department. We have collaborative research projects in rotavirus, the implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy in Aceh after the tsunami, and in acute respiratory disease in children. These projects aim to address research priorities in child health in Indonesia, further the development of the Paediatric Research Centre at Gadjah Mada University, and build research capacity for young Indonesian paediatricians and students. These projects have been lead by Prof Yati Soenarto, Dr Ida Safitri and Dr Rina Triasih from Gadjah Mada University.

Last Updated 29-Jan-2009. Authorised by: Professor Kim Mulholland. Enquiries: Amanda O'Brien.