Epidemiology and evidence-based
planning course
Health planners from state ministries of health and local government departments in both Cross River and Bauchi states are participating in a course in epidemiology and evidence-based planning. In total there are 21 participants: four women and six men from Bauchi state and four women and seven men from Cross River state. The course will form the basis for an MSc Epidemiology qualification for eligible participants.
Divided into four modules totalling roughly 8 weeks, this course provides the participants with a thorough grounding in basic epidemiology and statistics, with a strong focus on applying these tools to support evidence-based health planning.
Modules one and two
The first two course modules took place in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, in 2011. The modules were held in February and June, 2011 and were each two weeks long.
In these modules, participants gained knowledge and skills about relevant statistical and epidemiological methods. Participants gained practical experience in ethics, instrument design and field implementation of social audit on priority health issues in their two states, in collaboration with the state and local health authorities.
Photos from both modules are available in our course in epidemiology: module 1 & 2 photo gallery.
Module three
Supported by CIET tutors, they used the findings to draft publication articles for submission to scientific journals, as lead and co-authors. Article topics reflect the priority issues highlighted by the federal and state governments, including maternal care and services, and prevention and management of childhood illnesses.
Photos from this module are available in our course in epidemiology: module 3 photo gallery.
Module Four
The fourth module for the course took place in Calabar, Cross River State, for one week in May 2013. CIET faculty covered higher levels of analysis to examine associations between outcomes and potential determinants, alone and in combination. The participants identified research questions about different aspects of the findings from the 2011 survey, and practised analysis techniques with real data.
For more information on CIET short courses and academic programmes, visit the teaching and training page on the main CIET website.