Shu-Hua Wang
Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division, Columbus Ohio, United States; Global One Health Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, United States
Getnet Yimer
Global One Health, The Ohio State University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Michael Bisesi
Global One Health Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, United States; College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, United States
Leuel Lisawork
Global One Health, The Ohio State University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
David Sugerman
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Mikias Alayu
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Molecular Epidemiology, Columbus Ohio, United States
Mesfin Wossen
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Molecular Epidemiology, Columbus Ohio, United States
Sisay Alemayehu Abayneh
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kayleigh Gallagher
Global One Health Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, United States
Tigist Endashaw
Global One Health, The Ohio State University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Hannah Kubinson
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Theresa Kanter
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Kathleen Gallagher
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Wondwossen Gebreyes
Global One Health Initiative, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, United States; Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Molecular Epidemiology, Columbus Ohio, United States
Abstract
Rapid scale-up of surveillance activities is the key to successful coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prevention and mitigation. Ethiopia did not have a sufficient number of active surveillance officers for the public health COVID-19 response. Training of surveillance officers was needed urgently to fill the gap in the workforce needed. Subject-matter experts from the United States and Ethiopia developed applicable training modules including background on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), contact investigation, and communications. The training modules were delivered live in real-time via web-based virtual presentation. Seventy-seven health surveillance officers were hired, trained, and deployed in two weeks to assist with surveillance activities in Ethiopia. Electronic capacity building is needed in order to improve Web-based training in resource-limited settings where internet access is limited or unreliable. Web-based synchronously delivered course was an effective platform for COVID-19 surveillance training. However, strengthening public and private information technology capacity, literacy, and internet availability will improve Web-based education platforms in resource-limited countries.
