Led by NIMR-Mbeya's Dr. Nyanda Ntinginya and Dr. Issa Sabi, team members and policy makers from Tanzania, Mozambique and Germany gathered together at Hotel Verde on the island of Zanzibar to review, discuss and train on the LIFE2Scale Study.
The first day was dedicated to the scientific background, overall goals and general information of the study. While some sections followed traditional presentation and presenter style, the majority of the day was dominated by lively discussion and interactive role-playing by bold volunteers.
Having set a strong theoretical foundation for what the LIFE2Scale study is all about and why, the second day was all about learning by doing. Equipped with android tablets and mock patient files, study coordinators, nurses, counsellors, data managers, and focal persons hit the ground running considering participant eligibility and entering study data in the fully digital study data entry system, REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture). Though the eligibility and documentation of some mock participants were clear, a few mock cases were real head-scratchers!
Both days benefitted from the diversity of attendees, each of whom brought their unique experiences and first-hand knowledge. Language was no barrier (at least 4 different languges could be heard in the seminar room at any given time!), as each person could share in their native tongue and the multilingual team members translated so no one would be left behind. The exchange of ideas and anecdotes from the different clinics in both countries provided a new perspective on how to direct efforts to best support mothers living with and their newborn infants.
Overall, the meeting was a great success thanks to active participation by all as well as great fun in the "after hours" with shared food, music and dance!
