The PentaTr@ining Zambia-Tanzania 2022 course was held on 18-20 July. It was Penta’s first-ever jointly hosted training course in Africa and it counted more than 200 participants with nearly 150 invited participants online, over 20 speakers, 18 presentations, and six interactive ‘virtual clinic’ case discussions. The event was organised by Penta and supported by the Zambia Paediatric Association, the Ministries of Health of Zambia and Tanzania, the Tanzania National AIDS Control Programme, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Chalilwe Chungu, Secretary-General of the Zambia Paediatric Association who provided local coordination support from Zambia had this to say: “The first time I participated in PentaTr@ining, it was physical. This year an unprecedented virtual approach was taken. The adaptation necessitated by the turn of world events; COVID-19 reflects the resilience of humanity. We adapt. Paediatric HIV is an area where we continue to adapt, and the Penta team provides pearls that continue to telescopically reach children in the remotest parts of the world with evidence-based HIV implementation. The training kicked off with policy guidance and political commitment from both Tanzania and Zambia allowing an expanded viewpoint into both country contexts. It then smoothly cascaded to several areas including adolescent HIV care and updated delegates on pipeline trials that will further refine paediatric treatment optimization and help countries attain all population HIV epidemic control. The case studies were practical, and the facilitation was great for this multi-centre training. Well done Penta, Zambia, and Tanzania teams.”
For three days, healthcare professionals, experts and frontline workers gathered online and in person to share experiences, build their capacity and discuss the most pressing issues in the management of paediatric and adolescent HIV and other infectious diseases within the Zambian and Tanzanian contexts.
The course focused on several topics, including HIV management, prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, safety of antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy and breastfeeding, antiretroviral guidelines and treatment strategies. It also touched upon COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, tuberculosis management and prevention, and sexually transmitted infections. Through practical case studies and group discussions, participants had a unique opportunity to grow professionally and advance knowledge in their countries.
“As always, the Penta training team was fully committed to building the capacity for excellence in paediatric and adolescent HIV care. They gave us their maximum support to make the course successful. […] The training team keenly selected the topics and presenters to ensure the most relevant local issues were covered with an in-depth global perspective that mixed research, policy, and practice. In the end, there were valuable lessons learned that will surely improve how our paediatrics and adolescents living with HIV are managed across Tanzania”, said Patience Komba, Public Health specialist working for the University of Maryland Baltimore-Tanzania program’s Associate Director for Program Quality and Business Development. Patience has been PentaTr@ining’s local coordinator and faculty since 2018.
We would like to thank all the delegates and faculty for their passionate engagement and insightful perspectives throughout the three days of training.
We are currently accepting registrations for our exciting new interactive online course ‘Fungal Infections in Paediatrics’, scheduled to kick-off on 19 September. ESPID members benefit from a special registration rate, while the fee will be fully waived for delegates based in LMICs. Sign up here today for this course!
Visit the PentaTr@ining webpage for more about our training courses.