NPHI Stories: Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention in Rwanda: Using a 'Train the Trainer' Model to Build National and Local Capacity

The NPHI Program continues to support the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Division in Rwanda’s Institute for HIV, Disease Prevention and Control (IHDPC) at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC). As part of our efforts in the country, the NPHI Program supported a program manager training with the NCD Division. CDC’s Global NCD team travelled to Rwanda to conduct the course, which was structured to help program managers strengthen their skills in surveillance data and program evaluation analysis and interpretation; help staff more efficiently advocate for resources and support; and recognize how global, regional, and national NCD data relate to the issues Rwanda currently faces.

Delivered through a train-the-trainer model, the course provided insights into how population-level prevention programs compare with individual-level clinical care and counseling. According to one participant, “It was interesting to learn how to teach adults, methodology, and types of learners. The course gave background information I was not aware of and triggered ideas [about] what we should do at the national level”.

Applying knowledge gained from the course, the Rwanda NCD Division is set to make more information available about the country’s NCD burden, including fact sheets and policy briefs, so that decision-makers can be better informed.