Health Professionals Desperate for Information: eLearning to the Rescue

In developing countries, it is costly to develop and circulate essential health information. Some organizations have specific guidance or manuals that help program staff and supervisors, but few have information that is useful and accessible to wide populations of professionals. Programs that cannot devote large amounts of money to face-to-face trainings or document production are looking for a way to deliver current, useful information to their staff. One effective way to bridge this divide is through distance learning.
 
We know that access to internet is increasing. Over 10% of Africa is online, with an average increase of 200% in the past 10 years. The problem that many existing users face is that the quality of the connection is still not at a level where they can take advantage of “flashy” content and large downloadable files that require high-bandwidth connections – a luxury that most in Europe and North America are now accustomed to.
 
To support health professionals in countries where connectivity is often times sporadic, the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project has published four new courses on USAID’s Global Health eLearning (GHeL) Center. The courses include the PEPFAR Next Generation Indicators Guidance, Geographic Approaches to Global Health, Data Use for Program Managers, and Economic Evaluation Basics. The eLearning courses have all been reviewed and vetted by technical experts in their respective fields and provide practical knowledge to those involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
 
Courses are free and once a learner registers on the website, they then have access to these four courses as well as 40 other courses on a variety of public health and development topics. These courses can be accessed in low-bandwidth settings, so that learners with a simple dial-up connection can access this important information and complete a course at their own pace and convenience. These courses can be taken as standalone learning modules or in association with face-to-face trainings.
 
Internet access and reliable connectivity will undoubtedly increase in many parts of the world. Until then, we are happy to provide these off-line alternatives to close the digital divide and ensure people working in the field have the information they need to do their jobs well. Soon, all seven PEPFAR courses will be available offline on CD-ROM. This will allow for easy distribution to those who do not have internet access. You can look for additional PEPFAR eLearning courses at www.globalhealthlearning.org in the future.

David Davies-Deis is a Communication Specialist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs (CCP) and works on the Knowledge for Health Project, which is funded by USAID and implemented by CCP, Management Sciences for Health and FHI.