Tupime Kaunti in-conjunction with Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) conducted a Basic Level Field Epidemiology training for health care workers with support from PMI grant. This training specifically focused to build capacity among the Malaria-focused county health personnel on epidemiology, disease surveillance, data management, Data Quality Assessment and response to events of Public Health Emergencies.

Eight counties in the lake endemic region were targeted for the training that is Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu, Siaya, HomaBay and Migori counties. The cadres targeted were; Malaria County Focal Persons, Malaria Sub-County Focal Persons, Health Record Officers, Pharmacists and Laboratory Coordinators working at the county, sub-county level.Trainees were selected by Division of National Malaria Program (DNMP) and FELTP following a needs assessment on sub counties in the lake endemic counties that needed capacity building in surveillance, epidemiology and data quality. Invitations to participants were made by the office of the Director General of Health through the council of governors. The training had a total of 40 participants drawn from the eight counties.

The training employed a competency based training approach, that involved didactics, case studies, projects, supervision and continuous mentorship of the trainees. Each participant had two supervisors from FELTP and one from DNMP. The training was divided into 3 courses whereby the 1st course was held between 22nd and 26th February 2021 in Kisumu County while the 2nd course was held in Kisumu County between 3rd and 7th May 2021.

The facilitators conducted a field support supervision between 1st and 5th June 2021. The objective of this field supervision was to meet the class 1M participants and have a one-on-one mentorship regarding their outputs from the training. The supervision visits were carried out in the following sites: Busia County Referral Hospital, Migori County Referral Hospital, Bungoma County Referral Hospital, Vihiga County Referral Hospital, Homabay County Referral Hospital, Siaya County Public Health Office, Kisumu County and Kakamega County Public Health Office. During field supervision each participant was graded through a review of field supervision score card to monitor the progress of their Frontline Epidemiology outputs required for graduation. Additionally, supervisors reviewed and addressed any pending issues arising from Course 1 and Course 2 and guided the participants in developing final drafts of Course 2.5 dissemination presentation and Malaria data quality audit tool. All 36 participants who successfully completed Course 2 were supervised.

The 3rd course (Course 2.5) was held between 7th and 9th June 2021. This was a three-day course during which participants deliver PowerPoint presentation of their field project findings. Course 2.5 was followed by a graduation ceremony whereby thirty-four (85.0%) participants successfully graduated from the training.