The Central River Regional Health Management Team recently concluded a three-day training workshop for village health workers on the use of the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), which closing ceremony was held at the Regional Health Resource Centre in Bansang, Upper Fulladu West district. The Global Fund, through the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), funded the training.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the regional health director, Jankoba Jabbie, while underscoring the importance of the training, emphasized that the village health workers are the first point of contacts; hence, he maintained, exposing them to such training would further equip them with effective ways of diagnosing and reading test results.
He revealed that the purpose of training was to educate the trainees on why RDTs are important for malaria control. He therefore urged the participants to take up the training seriously as it would help them with the skills and knowledge on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).
The regional principal nursing officer, Ebba Secka, said the training would also give an insight into ways and means of improving on access to services and treatment of malaria; as one of the indicators of Global Fund. He noted that the training would not only introduce the participants to rapid diagnostic test but also how to use a finger prick blood sample.
Secka disclosed that a lot of achievements have been registered in preventing and controlling malaria in The Gambia but however pointed out that still a lot more need to be done in many areas such as access to effective anti-malaria drugs. Malaria prevention and control, the regional principal nursing officer went on, requires collaborative efforts from all.
The topics discussed include introduction to Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), importance of RDP in malaria control, materials needed in making an RDT test, how to use RDT, malaria rapid diagnostic test, how to record test results and how to read test results among others.