Second Conference

 

Second PENAPH Conference

Second Announcement and Registration Details

January 10-12, 2018 – Khon Kaen, Thailand

Participatory Approaches in Animal Health, Public Health, One Health and Ecohealth

Scope: The Participatory Epidemiology Network for Animal and Public Health (PENAPH) and its regional sub-networks[1] are partnerships of organizations and individuals that seek to facilitate the continued development and application of participatory methods in epidemiology (www.penaph.net). The overall goal of PENAPH is to enhance epidemiological services in the developing world by making them more representative of and responsive to the needs of beneficiaries.

Projects and networks that focus on capacity building in epidemiology and One Health have requested PENAPH to co-organize a technical conference. These include:

  • EU Companion Approach for Cross-Sectoral Collaboration in Health Risks Management in South East Asia (ComAcross),
  • the One Health Work Force (OHWF),
  • Management of Emerging Risks in Southeast Asia (GREASE) network,
  • the South East Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN),
  • One Health in Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA) network,

The conference will serve as a platform for sharing of participants’ research and activities. The Second PENAPH Conference has moved to Khon Kaen will be hosted by Tropical Disease Research Center / WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University and encourages presentations on the use of participatory methods in any aspect of health: human, animal or environmental.

Date and Duration: January 10-12, 2018 for 2.5 days with conference courses training events before or after the conference

Venue: Khon Kaen, Thailand:  This is a destination of international interest during peak season. The conference will be held at the Pullman Raja Orchid Hotel. Details on the hotel can be obtained from their website:

(http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-1877-pullman-khon-kaen-raja-orchid/index.shtml)

Participants: Open to all Participatory Epidemiology, One Health and EcoHealth practitioners and researchers as well as all those interested to learn more about participatory methods in animal and health.

Conference Fee: Early registration prior to Nov 1,  200 USD including organizational costs, venue costs, airport-hotel transport meals coffee breaks, lunches and a conference dinner. Travel and hotel costs and other meals are to be covered directly by the participants.

Scholarships: Organizers will actively seek scholarships for students and developing country participants to encourage their involvement. Priority will be given to those presenting papers.

Program and Focus: The program will include key note presentations and will emphasize participant presentations of original research (15 to 20 minutes’ duration). Time for discussion groups on points of interest to the participatory epidemiology community will be included.

Topics of interest to the conference are: experiences with, and applications of, participatory methods investigating complex problems in animal, human and environmental health; applications in animal health that enhance food security and participants’ well-being; applications focusing on integrated approaches at the human/environment/animal interface:

  • Epidemiological and disease ecology research
  • Health and biodiversity
  • Disease and intervention impact
  • One Health/EcoHealth interventions
  • Building partnerships in One Health/EcoHealth
  • Education and training in One Health/EcoHealth
  • Surveillance and program design
  • Socio-economics, social entrepreneurship and health-related issues
  • Epidemiological targeting of disease control programs (peste des petits ruminants and others)

 

[1] Asia Pacific Participatory Epidemiology Network (APPEN), the Southeast Asia Participatory Research in Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (SEAPREID), the Participatory Epidemiology Network of Uganda (PENU) and the Centre for PE in Pakistan

 

 

Registration for Second PENAPH Conference

Deadline for Early Registration Nov 1, 2017

Registration, payment of conference and course fees, and hotel booking will be a three-step process. The first two-steps, registration and purchase of tickets to the conference and courses is done on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/second-penaph-conference-participatory-approaches-to-one-health-tickets-37155665596.

Participants should plan to register before Nov 1, 2017. After that date, the conference fee will increase and courses may be cancelled, if sign-up is insufficient.

Step 1: Registration

In the first step, ALL participants will register on Eventbrite by selecting and completing the free ticket for REGISTRATION. Once this free ticket is selected you will be asked to complete a few questions. Indicate if you wish to request financial support or a waiver of conference fees.

The scientific committee will review all requests for support and waivers and inform those selected accordingly. Only participants from developing countries or full time students with an abstract accept for presentation will be considered for support or a waiver of the conference fee. If you have other sources of support, we request that you do not apply for a waiver as our ability to provide waivers is limited.

Step 2: Payment of Registration Fees

The second step will be payment of the conference fee (200 US Dollars prior to Nov 1 and 250 USD thereafter). This is calculated to cover the cost of lunches, the conference dinner, coffee breaks and logistical costs related to individual participation. If you have applied for a stipend or waiver, you will need to wait until we have reviewed your request to visit the payment site.

The registration and payment of fees for the 7 pre- and post-conference courses is also available on Eventbrite. Simply select the ticket for the course you desire. Please note that most of the courses will need a minimum number of people to register and pay fees by Nov 1, 2017 to make the course viable. Confirmation of courses will be made after Nov 1. In the event a course is cancelled, all fees will be refunded. A complete course listing is available at: (https://penaph.net/second-conference-courses/).

Step 3: Hotel Registration

The conference will be held at the Pullman Raja Orchid Hotel. Details on the hotel can be obtained from their website: (http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-1877-pullman-khon-kaen-raja-orchid/index.shtml). We have reserved a block of rooms which will be held until Nov 1. Please book before then to be assured of accommodation at the venue. Rates are just under $50 USD for this stunning hotel.

Course will be held on the KKU campus and we have identified a hotel near campus, the U-Inn. Rooms are 790 Bhat (about $25 USD) with breakfast and wifi. Hotel bookings for conference courses should also be made by Nov 1 to assure a room near KKU.

U-Inn Hotel website: http://en.directrooms.com/hotels/info/1-1-230-88932/?aw_campaignid=116215875&aw_adgroupid=6901861035&aw_matchtype=b&aw_device=c&aw_network=g&aw_placement=&aw_target=&aw_adposition=1t4&aw_targetid=kwd-32118880375&aw_loc_physical_ms=9073383&aw_creative=29499417795&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0YfA_rL51QIVBhOPCh1ImQKiEAAYBCAAEgKwK_D_BwE

Those who receive a waiver for conference fee will still need to book and pay for their hotel. We are currently working with the hotels to have registration links added to this E-mail.

Visa Requirements

A good summary of visa requirements is available on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Thailand. Unfortunately, most citizens of African countries require visas in advance. The conference organizers can help with invitation letters.

We estimate that the total local costs (conference fee, hotel and incidentals) will be 450 US Dollars. Participants will need to budget for airfare to Bangkok and then on to Khon Kaen, as appropriate to their location.

We look forward to seeing you in Khon Kaen in January.

The Conference Organizing Committee

 

Second PENAPH Conference Course Catalogue

We are pleased to announce 7 pre- and post-PENAPH Conference courses. The course offer a variety of perspectives on participatory and qualitative methods in animal Health, One Health, Eco-Health and surveillance. Course durations range from one-day introductions to a full 10-day course in participatory epidemiology as the first step to PENAPH certification as a PE Practitioner.

We are currently creating the registration site on Eventbrite which will handle Conference and course registration and payment. Course will be held at Khon Kaen University.

Course fees include lunch, coffee breaks and local transport. Course fees do not include travel expenses, hotels or meals not specifically mentioned.

Courses:

  • Lawa Lake Trip: Integrated control of liver fluke using an EcoHealth/ One Health approach, 1 day field trip Jan 9 2018, KKU
  • Qualitative research applied to surveillance, 4 day course, Jan 15-18, CIRAD
  • Participatory animal health monitoring, 1 day course, Jan 9, Brooke
  • Using participatory methods to strengthen animal health care systems, 1 day course, Jan 15, Brooke
  • Introduction to Participatory Epidemiology and Surveillance, 10 day course, Jan 15-19, 22-26, PENAPH
  • Building a syndromic surveillance system one step at a time, 4 day course, Jan 15-18, Berne
  • Introduction to qualitative research methods in One Health Research, 2 day course, Jan 8 and 9, Liverpool

Lawa Lake Trip: Integrated control of liver fluke using an EcoHealth/ One Health approach

 Coordinator: Professor Banchob Sripa

Course duration and date: 1 day – Jan 9, 2018

Course Description:

A field trip to Lawa Lake communities to learn about the Lawa model for the control of Opisthorchiasis.

Opisthorchiasis caused by human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a major foodborne parasitic zoonotic disease in Thailand and neighboring Mekong countries with over 10 million people infected. The infection is associated with cholangitis, cholecystitis, gallstones, hepatomegaly, periductal fibrosis and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a fatal liver cancer arising from the bile duct epithelium. The rates of CCA in regions where the parasite is endemic are unprecedented.  Khon Kaen province in Northeast Thailand where O. viverrini is endemic has reported the highest incidence of CCA in the world.  Extensive research on various aspects of opisthorchiasis and its associated diseases including epidemiology, immunology, pathology, carcinogenesis and control has been carried out in Thailand in recent decades. However, the current status of O. viverrini infection in the country is approaching 85% prevalence in certain endemic areas even after over 30 years of control programmes.  Its complex life cycle which involves several hosts/environments makes it difficult to control by conventional methods.  Therefore, a new control strategy for liver fluke infection using the EcoHealth/One Health approach was introduced into the Lawa Lake area in Khon Kaen province where the liver fluke is highly endemic.  This programme has been carried out for over 7 years using chemotherapy, novel intensive health education methods both in the communities and in schools, ecosystem monitoring and active community participation. As a result, the original aveage infection rate of 60% has declined by more than one half in the more than 10 villages surrounding the Lake. People in the area gained more knowledge of the liver fluke. Strikingly, the Cyprinid fish species, which are the intermediate host, now show less than 1% prevalence compared to a maximum of 70% during the baseline survey. This liver fluke control programme, now named the “Lawa model,” has become recognized nationally and internationally, and is being expanded to other parts of Thailand and neighboring Mekong countries.

Course Fee: USD $85

Schedule:

8.30        Depart from the airport for Lawa village

9.30        Arrive at Lawa Health Promotion Hospital

  • Overview of Lawa model (Dr.Banchob Sripa)

Human health

  • Director report/introduction to Lawa model
  • Demonstration of “Lawa model” an integrated liver fluke control programme by health volunteer workers
  • Primary care unit
  • Group photo

11.15     Visit Lawa School. Demonstration of “Liver fluke-free school”

12.00     Lunch at Chicago Island Resort nearby Lawa Lake

13.00     Visit Chi Kok Kor village and Lawa Lake

Environmental health

  • Tour around Lawa Lake, rural northeastern environment and lifestyle
  • Catching fish from the lake (fisherman)
  • Cooking raw fish salad “koi pla

Animal health

  • GPS tracking in animal reservoir

17.00     Back to Khon Kaen

20.40     Depart from Khon Kaen to Bangkok

Qualitative research applied to surveillance

Course facilitators:

Aurélie Binot, PhD, CIRAD ASTRE, Montpellier, France

Dr. Waraphon Phimpraphai, PhD, KU FVM, Bangkok, Thailand

Marisa Peyre, PhD, CIRAD ASTRE, Montpellier, France

Flavie Goutard, PhD, CIRAD ASTRE, Bangkok, Thailand

Course learning objectives:

With the emergence of new zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistances, the capacities of surveillance systems to accurately characterize animal diseases are of public health importance. There is clearly a rising interest in the use of qualitative approaches to achieve a better involvement of the communities and the stakeholders in the implementation of the surveillance system and in its evaluation.

During these 4 days, the workshop will provide a theoretical and practical application of qualitative methods with methods and tools to analysis and report qualitative data. We will introduce available tools for surveillance and qualitative evaluation.

At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

  • Explain the importance of qualitative research and participatory approaches
  • Describe the different steps in implementing qualitative research.
  • Understand the principles of qualitative data analysis
  • Describe the context of participatory surveillance and the approach
  • Know the different qualitative methods available to assess attributes with the pros and the cons related to their field implementation.

Course duration: 4 days – Jan 15-18, 2018

Indicative agenda:

Special attention will be given to the use of real life case-studies in order to cover a large range of surveillance approaches.

Day 1:

  • Introduction of participants, participants’ expectations and previous experience in the field of qualitative research and surveillance (30’)
  • Qualitative research purpose and interest (1h30)
  • Data collection methods (2h)
  • Participatory epidemiology (1h30)
  • Practical on case-studies (1h30)

Day 2:

  • Qualitative data analysis principles (Coding trees, semi-quantitative methods) (2h00)
  • Qualitative data analysis – coding tree exercise(1h00)
  • Practical on Data analysis (2h30)
  • Group discussions about challenges in qualitative data management (1h)
  • Synthesis: the principles of qualitative research (30’)

Day 3:

  • Basic principles of animal health surveillance (1h30)
  • Introduction about participatory disease surveillance (1h30)
  • Practical on participatory disease surveillance (2h30)
  • Challenges in qualitative methods for surveillance (1h)

Day 4:

  • Introduction to evaluation of animal health surveillance (1h30)
  • The use of participatory approaches to assess functional attributes (e.g. acceptability, non-monetary benefit) (1h30)
  • Practical on participatory evaluation (2h)
  • Final discussion on challenges in qualitative methods in surveillance (1h)

Course Fee: USD $180

Participatory animal health monitoring

Course facilitators: Melissa Liszewski and Polly Compston, Brooke UK

Course learning objectives:

  • Understand indicators of genuine participation and sustained engagement
  • Develop tools that enable animal owners to monitor their animal’s health without outside facilitation

Course duration: 1 day – Jan 9, 2018

Course description:

For over ten years Brooke has been blending participatory human development approaches with animal health and welfare approaches in programmes across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Participatory methods in human development are used to identify challenges faced by a group of people and facilitate shared solutions to those challenges. The emphasis is on interventions that are for the community and by the community rather than by outsiders for outsiders.

Participatory epidemiology is often designed to address a predefined animal health problem. However, animal-owning communities may identify and articulate different health and welfare challenges. Unless the researcher and the community have the same objectives for a participatory exercise, any solutions developed as a result may have a reduced success rate.

The course will introduce a range of tools that have been successfully used to ensure that communities take responsibility for the health and welfare of their animals, resulting in continued and independent monitoring and surveillance of animal populations. It will take participants through some of the challenges of implementing these programmes, including understanding the power dynamics, ensuring that data can be recorded reliably and ensuring sustainability. Additionally, the course will cover how these monitoring data can be used in practice at different levels (community, regional, national, international). Preparing participants for practical application will be a continual focus, with an emphasis on case studies.

Course Fee: USD $100

Indicative agenda for the course:

Session 1 Introductions

Overview of the similarities and differences between different participatory disciplines

Fundamentals of participatory animal health and welfare monitoring

Session 2 Tools used for participatory animal healthcare monitoring
Session 3 Strengths of using participatory methods in animal health and welfare surveillance

Challenges of using participatory methods in animal health and welfare surveillance

Session 4 Practicalities of using data obtained from participatory monitoring exercises

 

Using participatory methods to strengthen animal health care systems

Course facilitators: Klara Saville and Polly Compston, Brooke UK

Course learning objectives

  • Be able to facilitate, design and implement animal healthcare system strategy

Course duration: 1 day – Jan 15, 2018

Course description:

Brooke has global experience in developing operational plans to strengthen animal healthcare (AHC) systems towards 3 objectives: improving technical capacity, improving demand and ensuring sustainability.

This course will take participants through the design of a participatory plan for holistic strengthening of animal healthcare systems at a national level. We will discuss the characteristics of private and public systems, the role of paraprofessionals in veterinary medicine, and the requirements for a functioning and enabling policy environment and tertiary education system.

There are distinct information requirements required a priori: these will be discussed. Participants will gain practical experience in using tools that can be used in the strategic development process, including detailed stakeholder analysis and AHC infrastructure maps, assumption testing and feasibility testing.

Monitoring the success of interventions that aim to strengthen animal healthcare systems has a range of specific challenges. As well as monitoring clinical competence at an individual AHC worker level, specific indicators for demand creation and business sustainability must be developed and measured without bias.

A sustainable approach to strengthening animal healthcare systems requires complex interventions with multiple stakeholders at different levels. Case studies will be used throughout the course along with practical exercises and discussion of the challenges encountered at each stage of the process.

Course Fee: USD $100

Indicative agenda for the course:

Session 1 –       Important characteristics of animal healthcare systems
Session 2 –       Data requirements
Session 3 –       Tools used for planning
Session 4 –       Monitoring and evaluation

 

Introduction to Participatory Epidemiology and Surveillance

Instructors: Jeff Mariner, Sirikachorn Tangkawattana and Warangkhana Chaisowwong

Course Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the principles and concepts of participatory approaches and differentiate participatory methods from other methods
  • Conduct semi-structured interviews and lead participatory exercises such as mapping, visualization techniques, ranking and scoring methods
  • Utilize direct observation as a tool in assessments
  • Interpret results and communicate findings of research, assessments and surveillance activities that employ participatory methods
  • Design participatory studies and surveillance activities using participatory methods or that combine participatory methods with quantitative approaches.

Course duration: 10 days – Jan 15-19 and Jan 22-26

Course Description:

This program provides the training required as the first step in obtaining a PENAPH Practitioner Certificate in Participatory Epidemiology. The course provides a hands-on introduction to participatory epidemiology and prepares individuals to undertake participatory research, assessment and surveillance activities. The training process is tailored to mature students and emphasis practice and experiential learning. Upon completion of the course, those students who show evidence of having applied the techniques in their work are eligible to receive a PENAPH Practitioner Certificate (https://penaph.net/about/pe-certification/).

The first 2 days of the course will focus on principles and concepts. Thereafter, approximately 3 days will be devoted to training and in-class practice of participatory tools and methods. The second week of the course will emphasize field practice of techniques and planning of practical field assignment after the introductory course.

Appropriate training candidates are professionals and students at the professional and graduate level interested in qualitative methods and field research or disease surveillance who will actively use the tools in their work after the training program is completed.  Candidates will need to indicate their willingness to complete the entire course. The course is an ideal opportunity to build a strong foundation in participatory methods for individuals active in surveillance systems.  Sponsorship of participants by on-going disease control programs is encouraged.

Course Fee: USD $500 USD not including travel expenses. Lunches and coffee breaks included. Note transport for the field component is included.

Building a syndromic surveillance system one step at a time

Course facilitators:

  1. John Berezowski: Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Bern Switzerland
  2. Laura Falzon: Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

Learning objectives: Participants will:

  • Understand the theory underpinning surveillance and syndromic surveillance.
  • Be able to create, describe, display and model syndromic time series data
  • Know how event detection algorithms work and how to optimize them to different time series and different types of epidemics
  • Learn how to use R

Duration:  4 days – Jan 15-18, 2018

Course description:

The course is designed to teach the basic concepts of syndromic surveillance using the R Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Participants will be given an overview of the basic principles of surveillance in order to better understand how syndromic surveillance can complement traditional forms of surveillance. Through a series of hands on exercises, participants will learn the theory underlying syndromic surveillance as well as how to create, describe and visualize syndromic time series and how to fit temporal and spatial-temporal event detection algorithms to syndromic time series. The goal of the course is to provide participants with the methods needed to design and implement a functioning syndromic surveillance system. We are using the R Language because it is a powerful and well accepted statistical software application. It is also freely available, making it possible for people with limited resources to use the software for all the analyses needed to run a fully operational syndromic surveillance system.

Number of Participants: 15 minimum to 25 maximum.

Cost to be paid by each participant: Estimated between 250.00 $US and 350 $US.

  • USD $250 if there are 25 participants
  • USD $350 if there are 15 participants

Introduction to qualitative research methods in One Health Research

Course facilitators

Professor Jude Robinson (Professor of the Anthropology of Health and Illness, Head of Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool) and

Dr Robert Christley (Reader in Epidemiology, Head of Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Liverpool)

Course duration: 2 days – Jan 8-9, 2018

Course learning objectives

By the end of the course participants should be able to:

  • Understand the role of qualitative methods in research
  • Be aware of key methods of qualitative data collection
  • Understand how to design a practical and ethical qualitative research project
  • Be able to undertake basic analyses of qualitative data

Course description

This short course will provide participants with an introduction to qualitative methods, focussing on their application to animal and one health research. In contrast to quantitative approaches, which use numerical data, qualitative methods can utilise a wide range of data types including text, spoken word, and images.

The course will begin by discussing the philosophical basis of qualitative methods and contrasting this with quantitative methods. We then move on to examine some key methods for collection of qualitative data, including interviews and focus group discussions. We will illustrate ways in which these methods can elicit important qualitative data, providing insights and explanations that go beyond the quantitative data that are often collected in participatory research settings. We will also discuss other methods such as observation in natural settings and photovoice. Exercises will enable participants to practice key aspects of data collection. We will also discuss how to design a qualitative project, from writing a research question, deciding what method (s) to use, through recruitment, to data recording and management, either as a standalone project or as part of a larger project.

We will also discuss methods of analysing qualitative data, focussing on the Framework method. We will describe the process of coding and development of key themes. Again, exercises will enable participants to gain first-hand experience of the application of these approaches.

Throughout the short course, we will also discuss important issues that may arise during qualitative research, including ethics and the limits of confidentiality, privacy, research relationships, group conflicts, non-participation and gender.

Indicative agenda for the course

Day 1

  • Introduction to Qualitative methods in animal health and one health research
  • Methods of data collection, including interviews, focus group discussions and additional methods (e.g. observation, photovoice)
  • Designing a qualitative project
  • Practical: data collection

Day 2

  • Introduction to qualitative analysis
  • Coding and Framework analysis
  • Practical: data analysis

Course fee: USD $150