by Hillary Toloka, Research Nurse, Atoifi Hospital
Health researchers from across Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, England, Switzerland and Australia gathered at Atoifi Hospital on Tuesday 15 August to attend the 2nd Atoifi Health Research Symposium. The 72 participants included community leaders, staff nurses, student nurses, probationer nurses and administrative leaders of Atoifi Hospital. Invited guests from both the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Honiara and Provincial Health in Kuluufi Hospital, Malaita Province also attended. Our research partners from James Cook University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine along with Research Fellows from different Provinces in Solomon Islands and from Papua New Guinea also attended.
Research presentations included detection and treatment of yaws and syphilis, malaria in pregnancy, infection control, patient satisfaction at Atoifi Hospital, and impact of scabies treatment with ivermectin on the prevalence of headlice in the Solomon. A reproductive health presentation about the use of Jandelle implants was delivered, and research findings about community perceptions on skin disease were reported.
Acting Chief Executive Office of Atoifi Hospital, Ms Rowena Asugeni, presented about research capacity building for health research and Mr Humpress Harrington presented a session entitled, 'Developing local models to strengthen and improve capacity in health research in Melanesia'.
Participants attending the Symposium expressed that it was an “eye opener” to attend such a well organised symposium in a remote setting like Atoifi Hospital, East Kwaio. A wonderful mixture of presentation both from Nurses and the Community researchers were reminded by research leaders that anybody can do research and that this Symposium went someway to involving a variety of community and health workers in health research.
Local community leaders who attended the Symposium expressed their gratitude for being part of the Symposium, they were impressed to see the real research data presented by local researchers. One community leader expressed that he was pleased to be informed about what was happening in his community and to learn what measures could be taken to improve health. Local community leaders also expressed their willingness to support the research work in their communities in the future.
For more information about health research being conducted by the Atoifi Health Research Group, please email rowenaasugeni@gmail.com or humpress.harrrington@gmail.com
Photo (courtesy David MacLaren): Some of the participants at the 2nd Atoifi Health Research Symposium
