Lessons learned from early implementation of the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program in Nigeria, 2019 - 2021

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal 2023, Vol.46, p.81-81
• Main Authors: Rachlin, Audrey, Adegoke, Oluwasegun Joel, Sikare, Ester, Adeoye, Olorunsogo Bidemi, Dagoe, Edward, Adeyelu, Asekun, Tolentino, Herman, MacGregor, Jan, Obasi, Samuel, Adah, Gabriel, Garba, Abdullahi Bulama, Abah, Angela Ukpojo, Friday, Josiah, Oyiri, Ferdinand, Porter, Angela Montesanti, Olajide, Lois, Wilson, Idongesit, Usman, Ramatu, Usifoh, Nnamdi, Fasogbon, Olasoji, Franka, Richard, Ghiselli, Margherita, Nguku, Patrick, Waziri, Ndadilnasiya, Lam, Eugene, Bolu, Omotayo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2023.46.81.38588

the Growing Expertise in E-health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program is an applied apprenticeship program that aims to improve informatics capacity at various levels of the national health system and create a sustainable informatics workforce. Nigeria adapted the GEEKS model in 2019 as a mechanism to strengthen data quality and use of routine immunization (RI) and vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance data among Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) staff. Since the start of the GEEKS-EPI program, there has not been a formal assessment conducted to measure the extent to which GEEKS-EPI has been able to build local informatics workforce capacity and strengthen RI and VPD surveillance (VPDS) data quality and use in Nigeria. we conducted a qualitative assessment to inform the extent to which GEEKS-EPI has been able to build informatics skillsets to enhance local workforce capacity, foster collaboration across government agencies, and create a sustainable informatics workforce in Nigeria. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were held with GEEKS-EPI supervisors, mentors, and mentees from previous GEEKS-EPI cohorts. while there were challenges reported during early implementation of the GEEKS-EPI program in Nigeria, particularly early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, participants and supervisors reported that the fellowship provided a framework for building a sustainable RI and VPDS informatics workforce through regular mentorship, peer-to-peer exchanges and Subject Matter Expert (SME)-led trainings. lessons learned from early implementation of GEEKS-EPI in Nigeria will help to inform its implementation in other countries, where strengthened national RI and VPDS informatics capacity is the primary objective.