TB Notes Newsletter
No. 2, 2011
TB EDUCATION AND TRAINING NETWORK UPDATES
Member Highlight
In this issue of TB Notes we are highlighting Franklin Nwaoha, MBBS, MD, an international member from Nigeria.
Dr. Nwaoha graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Ibadan.
Dr. Nwaoha currently serves as the Director of Programs for Francon Services and is also a Research Assistant with the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. He describes his program’s primary activities as ensuring the implementation and assessing the effectiveness of directly observed therapy, short-course (DOTS) in the treatment of TB patients in southwestern Nigeria. In that area, he says, poor treatment adherence is leading to the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. His program also assesses adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients in southwest and northern Nigeria. The populations they serve include persons with TB, leprosy, and HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Nwaoha is responsible for developing, planning, and coordinating strategies and programs for ensuring and increasing adherence to TB and HIV treatment, with the ultimate aim of preventing the development of drug resistance. In developing these strategies, he takes into consideration the behavioral as well as the clinical aspects of adherence. He also provides HIV prevention services, which include the administration of pre-exposure prophylaxis and the provision of antiretroviral-based microbicides.
When asked about a recent training or education product or program he had developed, Dr. Nwaoha cited an awareness and education campaign to educate the public about the risks of becoming infected with M. bovis through the consumption of unpasteurized milk.
Dr. Nwaoha first learned about TB ETN through an online search. He joined TB ETN so he could learn about new, cutting-edge prevention and intervention strategies and programs that can be implemented in his home country of Nigeria.
He is also a member of the TB ETN Membership Development Workgroup. He joined this workgroup to gain knowledge from the experience of others, so as to “know what is working” in TB education and training. He also wishes to be able to contribute to the advancement of the workgroup and of TB ETN.
Dr. Nwaoha has some specific ideas for what he would like TB ETN to accomplish in the next couple of years. He hopes that TB ETN will work to have its collective voice heard and disseminated more effectively, reaching out more to the international community and ultimately helping to curb TB infection by increasing its membership.
While it is hard to imagine Dr. Nwoaha having any free time with his busy work schedule, he also finds time for volunteer work, watching movies, playing table tennis, traveling, reading, dancing, acting -- in general, anything that adds value to life gives him tremendous joy.
If you’d like to join Dr. Nwoaha as a TB ETN member and take advantage of all TB ETN has to offer, please send an e-mail requesting a registration form to tbetn@cdc.gov. You can also send a request by fax to 404-639-8960 (attention: Teresa) or by mail to TB ETN, CEBSB, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mail Stop E10, Atlanta, GA 30333. If you would like additional information about TB ETN, please visit the TB ETN website .
TB ETN Educator of the Year Award Open for Nominations
The TB Education and Training Network (TB ETN) is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 TB Educator of the Year and the Project Excellence awards. The awards were established in 2010 to recognize excellence in TB health education and training by TB ETN members around the world.
The TB Educator of the Year award recognizes a TB ETN member who has shown dedication and leadership in the field of TB education and training. The recipient of the 2010 TB Educator of the Year Award was Elisabeth (Beth) Kingdon. Beth is the TB Education Coordinator/Planner for the Minnesota Department of Health’s TB Prevention and Control Program. Throughout her 6 years with the program, Beth managed the development of numerous projects; including the redesign of the program’s website, the development of five patient education fact sheets available in 14 different languages, and the development of a TB DVD.
The Project Excellence award recognizes TB ETN members who have developed an exceptional health education and training product or activity within the past 2 years. The recipients for the 2010 Project Excellence Award were Joan Mangan and Katie Rowan for their contributions to the development of the Cultural Competency and Tuberculosis Control: Country Specific Guides. The Country Specific Guides provide epidemiological information for both TB and HIV; common misperceptions surrounding the etiology, disease transmission, and cures for TB and HIV; as well as material on the stigma surrounding these diseases.
To be eligible for either award, nominees must:
- Hold an “active” TB ETN membership* and
- Be currently practicing in the area of TB education and training.
* Individuals must have been registered as an “active” member of TB ETN for at least 6 months prior to nomination. Participation in a TB ETN workgroup is not an eligibility requirement for the awards.
TB ETN members can self-nominate or be nominated by someone else.
Nomination forms can be accessed from:
http://www.cdc.gov/tb/education/Tbetn/educatorawards.htm
Nominations must be received no later than Friday, July 15, 2011. The awards will be presented during the annual TB ETN conference, September 20-22, 2011, in Atlanta, GA.
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE)
1600 Clifton Rd., NE
MS E10
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
