Health Systems Management Programme’s Graduate's Interview

Today we are delighted to meet Dr. Aimé MATELA ESANGA, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, working in Chad as an international consultant for the Bill Gates Foundation under the auspices of the WHO.

Dr. Matela participated in the May 2019 Health Systems Management Programme at GIMI. We interviewed him two months after he returned home to find out what impact this programme had on his professional life.

Could you explain your professional activities in a few words?

I am a doctor and international consultant in Chad for the Bill Gates Foundation under the auspices of the WHO. We supervise a programme of vaccinations and epidemiological surveillance. The ultimate goal is the eradication of poliomyelitis in Chad.

How did you hear about Galilee Institute programmes?

Through a former graduate colleague who praised the merits of Galilee Institute's programmes. So I went to the site to check and I saw that I was interested.

Did you enjoy the programme?

Very much. I have a very long experience in medical matters. The great strength of this programme is that it allows me to respond to problems that I encounter; both in theory and in the field, for example: the lectures on innovative and associative thinking, opened my mind to what is done elsewhere and this will be a very important work tool for me. This tool allows me to be constantly questioning and checking what is done elsewhere and it will be very valuable to me in my work.

Now that you have returned to the field, can you explain how the programme has impacted you?

Two months after my visit to GIMI, fruit has already been harvested:
The priority topic for me was that of vaccinations, because of the many challenges to be met such as the lack of control of the target, the low immunisation coverage and the high drop-out rate. Thanks to the tools acquired at the Galilee Institute, the focus was on community participation: we organised a meeting with the village chiefs (community leaders) in the BAGASOLA health district, next to Lake Chad.

During this meeting, we explained to them the importance of vaccination to avoid disease and the need to completely vaccinate the children. This meeting made it possible to obtain their involvement in the field of vaccination. In parallel with this meeting, in collaboration with UNICEF, community registries were recommended, in each village, to record births and include all children from 0 to 11 months for vaccination. Village leaders are committed to ensuring the proper monitoring of immunisation for all children.
This strategy has therefore been implemented in BAGASOLA district as a pilot project and the aim is to expand it on a large scale.

Meeting with the Village Chiefs

Would you recommend this programme to your colleagues?

Of course, and I would add that it is even very important for doctors from countries in transition to follow this programme. I particularly appreciated the fact that theoretical lectures are systematically supplemented by field visits. This comprehensive approach is very effective, and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to our dear graduate Dr. Matela and a lot of success in all your projects.