Enhancing capacity for response and microplanning through workshops in Guatemala

The Guatemalan Ministry of Health (MOH), with technical and financial support from the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), is organizing regional workshops to strengthen the capacities of healthcare personnel in outbreak response and immunization activities microplanning.

The workshops are targeting professionals from all 29 Departmental Directions of Integrated Health Service Networks and 110 municipal health districts of high risk for measles/rubella and polio, using tools developed by PAHO/WHO. To date, we have trained 313 participants from 16 Departmental Directions. 

We developed a pedagogical pathway to deliver the topics, which began with an analysis of the situation of vaccine-preventable diseases in the Americas and in Guatemala, an overview of measles, rubella, and polio epidemiological surveillance, a municipality-level risk analysis for measles/rubella, and the development of mitigation plans using the problem tree methodology.

We provided training on general actions to be taken in response to outbreaks and conducted a simulation exercise based on a local experience of isolating a VDPV1 (vaccine-derived polio virus type 1) in a residual water sample collected in March 2019 in Guatemala.

After conducting the situational analysis, the microplanning process for the implementation of extramural activities was introduced. We used an adapted tool to structurally plan lifecycle prevention packages, which includes Immunization, anthropometric control, supplementation, deworming and antenatal care activities in accordance with the current country regulations.

This tool further enhances the microplanning process of extramural strategies by providing a guided and automated procedure, with the goal of delivering primary healthcare services to prioritized communities. We are planning to measure the impact of these workshops by monitoring surveillance and vaccination coverage indicators. 

Authors: Azucena Escalante(1), Ana Chicop(1), Leticia García(1), Ericka Serón(1), Fernanda Velázquez(1), Ericka Gaitán(1), María Cecilia Razzotti(2), Mariana Landa(2), Diego Campos(2), Luis Quezada(2), Grethel Alvarado(2), Marc Rondy(2).

Organizations: (1) Guatemalan Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (2) Pan American Health Organization Guatemala

Photos: 

Caption 1-2: Capacity Development Workshops in Outbreak Response and Microplanning, Guatemala 2023

Caption 3: Measles/Rubella Risk Assessment Tool, Guatemala 2023.Available: https://paho-cim.shinyapps.io/SR_Risk_GTM/

Caption 4: Microplanning Tool which includes Immunization, anthropometric control, supplementation, deworming and antenatal care activities, Guatemala 2023