Technical Article

Training of Community Volunteers, Health Workers, Traditional Practitioners and Church
Pastors on Community-Based Surveillance of Poliomyelitis and Other Vaccine-Preventable
Diseases in the Uvira and Nundu Health Zones, South Kivu, DRC

As part of strengthening the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and combating other vaccine-preventable diseases, the CGPP in DRC was organized training for community volunteers, health workers, traditional healers and church pastors in the Uvira and Nundu health zones, located in the province of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The community volunteers (CVs), essential actors of community engagement, have been selected by the communities themselves in each village and/or quarter. The selection was made in the presence of the political and administrative authorities and local community leaders, according to a set of well-defined criteria. This selection process was inclusive, considering the gender and disability aspect, to ensure that every person who met the criteria and was accepted by the community could participate.

This training marked a crucial milestone for the CGPP project, building the capacity of 123 CVs, 25 supervisors, 12 church pastors, and 11 traditional healers in Uvira Health Zone, as well as 113 CVs, 26 supervisors, 12 church pastors, and 11 traditional healers in Nundu Health Zone. The trainings aimed to equip these key actors with the skills needed to effectively conduct community-based surveillance of polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.