Training programme on sustainable health presented at major public health conference

Training programme on sustainable health presented at major public health conference

Meet Dr. Freddy Bangelesa who is a research scientist and senior lecturer at Kinshasa School of Public Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is also a coordinator for the training programme Managing Innovation for Sustainable Health. We spoke to him about his recent participation in the 15th European Public Health Conference.

Dr. Freddy Bangelesa by the poster at the 15th European Public Health Conference in Berlin in November 2022.

What was the purpose your visit to the European Public Health Conference?

The purpose was to hold a poster presentation on Managing Innovation for Sustainable Health (MISH): rethinking training of health officials in fragile settings. MISH is a training program for managers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Somalia implemented by the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health.

How was the presentation received?

 The MISH program was perceived as an innovative project of capacity building. Participants were particularly impressed about the organigram of the project – steering committee, coordination and module leads from all institutions – which was seen as sustainable and innovative. Additionally, the online learning platform was also highly appreciated, as well as the alumni organization. I also stressed the participatory approach in courses, where learning materials are adjusted according to the feedback from the course participants.

What are your main takeaways from the conference?

The most important outcome was the network created. The Institut für Gesundheit & Soziales of FOM University Center Munich would like to initiate collaboration with the Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH). This has resulted in KSPH being invited to participate to a project development meeting in Germany.