The Haiti Node of the Virtual Campus develops a preparatory course for admission to Social Service aimed at graduates in health sciences
Panama, September 12-15 2024 (PAHO) – As part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of health human resources, the Haitian Node of the Virtual Campus for Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization (VCPH/PAHO) is developing the self-learning preparatory course for Social Service residents, scheduled to launch on October 22, 2024.
This initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) of Haiti and PAHO's Representation in the country, aims to ensure that newly graduated health professionals possess the necessary skills to perform effectively in urban, suburban, rural, and hard-to-reach areas, which are often characterized by a limited availability of human resources.
The current regulations in Haiti establish that all graduates of higher education programs in health sciences, whether from national or foreign institutions, public or private, must complete a mandatory period of Social Service as a prerequisite to obtain the license that enables them to practice their profession within Haitian territory.
It is estimated that more than 1,600 graduates, including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dentists, and laboratory technicians participate annually in the social service program to promote their integration into community life and contribute to the improvement of health services in resource-scarce areas.
In August, Jn Claude Felix, Technical Officer for Integrated Health Service Networks and Human Resources for Health in Haiti, conducted a mission to Panama City, home of the Virtual Campus offices, to develop the bilateral work agenda with the regional VCPH team. During the mission, various activities were undertaken to strengthen coordination between the teams involved in the course implementation, validate the pedagogical contents, and the further training of the Haitian Node team to ensure effective management of the course after its launch.
The Virtual Campus, as an educational platform, has the mission of promoting the development of pedagogical initiatives aligned with PAHO's technical cooperation priorities at both national and subregional levels. Since its inception, the Haitian Node has advanced a significant work agenda, offering educational programs in French, English, and Spanish that address the country’s technical cooperation needs. The courses offered by the node include Methodology for Productive Management of Health Services; Integrated Health Service Networks; Health Technology Planning and Management; and the Virtual Course on Surveillance and Response to Maternal and Perinatal Deaths, among others.
Towards a standardized training system
The implementation of the preparatory course for Social Service addresses one of the most critical challenges faced by recent health science graduates: the lack of a standardized training system prior to their field deployment. This need is further exacerbated by the deteriorating security situation in the country, which has prevented in-person meetings in several regions. As a result, graduates have increasingly had to rely on virtual solutions for their training and preparation.
To mitigate these obstacles, the preparatory training for Social Service proposal will leverage the Virtual Campus's experience to enhance the technical skills of recently graduated professionals. This approach aims to improve health coverage, standardize professional preparation, and increase awareness of the challenges and needs within the public health field in Haiti.