The Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted a Sub-Regional Training of Trainer’s workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme in Crisis and Post Crisis Situations (SPRINT). The training was held in Jamaica at the Breeze’s Resort, Spa and Golf Club, Runaway Bay, St. Ann’s from December 5-9, 2011. A total of 28 persons were trained at this workshop and nominees were selected from 6 countries namely: Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Barbados, Belize and Trinidad & Tobago.
The objective of the training was to provide an opportunity to develop capacities to address RH needs in emergency settings, through the implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health in emergency situations and to increase the coordination skills and training capacity of SRH coordinators.
The training included partners in the medical profession from the Ministry of Health, a non-governmental organization, the Red Cross, IPPF affiliates, as well as UNFPA staff.
The training was held over a 5-day period. The first day addressed the overview of the MISP and coordination mechanisms of SRH in crisis and presentations of country experience in implementing the MISP/Comprehensive SRH in Crisis along with a pre-test on the MISP. Participants were also to write down their expectation of the training to be reviewed at the end of the last session. Day 2 addressed sexual violence: the barriers to care and support. These were very interactive sessions with group stations set up looking at the referral mechanisms, sexual violence coordination game, clinical services for rape survivors with medical setup for post-rape care, documentation of sexual violence cases and case studies depicting treatment decisions. On day three Maternal and Newborn Health was looked at in crisis and post crisis situations with group stations depicting clean delivery kits and immediate newborn care, manual vacuum aspiration and post-abortion care. Day 4 addressed HIV/STIs looking at priority interventions to address HIV/STIs in emergencies. Group stations were also set up looking at standard precautions, sterilization and rational and safe blood transfusion, condoms and STI syndromic approach. The last day of the training looked at action planning in terms of SRH supplies and logistics, monitoring & evaluation. Teams presented their country action plan and the MISP. Post-test was administered. Last but not least, the participants’ expectations were reviewed jointly in order to improve sustainable follow-up and integrate the outcomes of the training to other UNFPA core programme areas in the region. Certificates were handed out at the end of the course.
The outcomes of the training were: To advocate for SRH in crisis; apply core concepts and techniques provided in the MISP; apply coordination skills for the implementation of the MISP; produce an action plan to integrate SRH into national emergency preparedness plans; and demonstrate ability to effectively facilitate and conduct echo- trainings on the MISP at the national level.
