NAHARLAGUN, 26 Apr: A two-day BRIDGE (boosting routine immunisation demand generation) training of trainers (ToT) programme on interpersonal communication skills in two batches commenced at a hotel here on 26 April.
The programme is being organised by the State Health Society, in collaboration with the UNICEF. The first batch of trainees comprise district ASHA nodal officers (DANO) and deputy mass education officers, while the second batch will comprise district extension educators and district community mobilizers as trainees.
Dr Riaz Ahmed and Swarup Bhatta from Envisions Institute of Development (the development partner of the UNICEF) are the resource persons.
The inaugural function was attended by NHM Mission Director CR Khampa, IEC DD O Thamphang, MO (RI) Dr Tage Taka, UNICEF consultants from the Guwahati regional office, consultants from the state, and other state officials.
Thampang in his address stressed on the importance of BRIDGE ToT “for increasing vaccine confidence among the community,” and emphasised on its “importance to strengthen and sharpen the IPC skills and techniques of frontline health workers, in order to be able to reach out to the community and villagers appropriately.”
Khampa requested the DANOs to ensure that the ASHAs’ incentives are delivered to them, and said that the ASHAs should have the knowledge of their entitlements. He further asked the DANOs to ensure that “the ASHAs have the knowledge of the number of households, the number of people living in it, the number of pregnant women, vaccine doses, and other health-related updates of their jurisdiction on their tip.”
He advised the trainees to “disseminate the training further to block and village level,” and expressed hope that he would see an improvement in the health indicators.
