Mona Lisa Africa

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Niger

DECEMBER 2006
Training Workshop of the National Reproductive Health Services in Niamey (CNSR)

The Ministry of Health and Endemic Disease has shown significant interest in the Mona Lisa Africa programme, especially in the training of healthcare providers. This is in line with their activities in reproductive health services, which is part of the Health Development Programme for 2005-2010. As a matter of fact, they organised the first training project regarding intra uterine devices (IUD's), from November 27 to December 8, 2006. This took place at the National Centre of Reproductive Health (CNSR) in Niamey.

The participants consisted of 6 qualified midwives of the Loga-Dosso and Mirrah-Zinder regions. They had the opportunity to voice their training needs to improve their knowledge regarding:

  • The different types of IUD's (advantages and disadvantages)
  • The ways to track down the appropriate women who would benefit from the use of IUD's
  • The way in which to lead and counsel women in need of IUD's
  • The various techniques to insert and remove IUD's
  • The management of complications that might follow the insertion of an IUD and the support of the woman involved.

This training workshop was carried out in two phases. The first week was a theoretic programme that concentrated on:

  • Anatomy and physiology of the genital organs
  • The menstrual cycle
  • The various methods of contraception
  • The history of the various kinds of IUD's
  • Prevention of infection and unhygienic circumstances, as well as the management of secondary effects and eventual complications
  • Showing a film on how to insert and remove IUD's
  • Case studies, role play regarding counselling, formal discussions as well as questions and answers
  • Actual training using a demonstration doll (2 days)

During the second week, the participants revisited the necessary health requirements that serve as basis for the insertion of IUD's.

In the end, the six participants were unanimous in confirming that they have reached their goal during this course, which was to consolidate the method of teaching/training of women and to expand their know-how relative to the insertion and removal of IUD's, seen against their respective backgrounds and experience in the world of health.