WAHIS : Latest refresher training for selected countries in Africa delivered online

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The 2022 training course focused on the new “early warning” interface (immediate notifications and follow-up reports) and on key concepts  related to the creation and submission of six-monthly reports (SMR).

The main learning objectives were:

  • To acquire key information on WAHIS (early warning and six-monthly reports);
  • To understand how WAHIS users can be supported by WOAH when facing difficulties in using WAHIS;
  • Sharing of experiences among participants.

It was also an opportunity to encourage participants to report through WAHIS and let them interact with the WOAH staff involved in the verification of submitted reports. Based on recorded challenges in reporting, the following countries attended this refresher course :

French-speaking countries (17 October) :

  • Benin,
  • Burkina Faso,
  • Congo (Dem. Rep.),
  • Niger, and
  • Tunisia.

English-speaking countries (24 October) :

  • Malawi,
  • Namibia,
  • Nigeria,
  • Sierra Leone,
  • Uganda, and
  • Zimbabwe.

These two virtual training sessions of 2,5 hours were arranged focusing on small group of participants to increase chances of interaction between trainers and trainees as well as were customised as much as possible in accordance with training needs expressed by the invited participants.

Invited participants were encouraged to involve any relevant staff that support them in the notification process. No limits in terms of participants were set.

Early warning report group sessions

Focal Points already had some experience with the system, but not with the new early warning module release. Participants showed interested mostly on how to make follow-up and final reports. Due to connection issues only few participants were able to connect and use WAHIS training environment therefore trainers showed a live demo on how to create an immediate notification and then moved to demonstrate how to make a follow-up/final report interacting with the participants to address their concerns/questions. These sessions were interactive, however trainers had very limited time to stress early warning key concepts.

Six participants managed to create early warning reports (report drafts) through the WAHIS training environment and two of them manged to submit an immediate notification. One participant submitted a follow-up report.

Six-monthly group sessions

These sessions targeted mostly countries that have delays in the submission of six monthly reports and that clearly expressed the need to know more about six-monthly reporting and or WOAH reporting in general. The level of experience with WAHIS was quite heterogeneous however trainers had the opportunity to discuss key reporting concepts such as common reasons that can block the submission of six-monthly reports.

Trainers delivered as well a short live demonstration on six-monthly reporting.

 

 

 

Participants during the last regional training workshop held in Tunis, Tunisia in February 2020. Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (oie) 2020

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