From 21st September to 16th October 2015 two one-week training sessions of Hospital Blood Bank (HBBs) staff were conducted in Yaoundé and Douala on the fourth of ten modules developed by the Safe Blood for Africa Foundation™.

Facilitators came from the Ministry of Public Health and Safe Blood for Africa Foundation team.

The objectives of this training were to provide technical competencies on basic immunohematology, including blood grouping, compatibility testing, issuing blood and basic testing for Transfusion Transmitted Infections Testing (TTI) to designated HBB staff.

A total of 50 trainees from 18 Hospital Blood Banks and 13 cities attended the training.  They were all Laboratory Technologists and the training was divided into three parts:

- lectures during which power-point presentations were provided by facilitators with shared discussions on experiences to facilitate active and productive interactions;

-practicals in the blood bank testing laboratories during which participants were trained in basic techniques in immunohaematology and TTI screening; and

- group work during which participants drafted documents such as SOPs, instructions, check-lists and improvement plans for their blood banks.

Pre- and post-course evaluations assessed the participants’ initial knowledge of and progress made at the end of the training.  In total 46 participants (92%) scored more than 65% in the final assessment.  At the end of the training, 46 attendees (92%) received a certificate of attendance and completion by meeting the assessment criteria.

    Claude Tayou Tagny, Country Project Coordinator