Sexual and reproductive health “Train The Trainer” programs in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundUniversal access to reproductive health care including family planning and sexual health care are recognised as human rights and are a key contributor to the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, yet many people across the globe have limited access to information and services to protect their sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Universal access cannot be achieved without a skilled health workforce. 'Train the Trainer' (TTT) approaches are commonly advocated as cost-effective and sustainable options for building health capacity through up-skilling health workforces. MethodsA scoping review was undertaken to identify the type and extent of the available literature on sexual and reproductive health TTT programs in low-and middle-income (LMI) countries, in order to gain insights to inform practice and fill the knowledge gaps to inform future research. Six databases were used as the source of information (CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, Global Health, Medline and Scopus). ResultsA systematic search returned a total of 700 studies. After duplicate removal, 487 studies were screened by year, title and abstract, and 39 studies were identified for full text review. After the full text review, 16 studies were deemed to meet the criteria for final inclusion. Findings show that much of the published literature on SRH TTT programs reports on HIV training in African countries. Thematic analysis revealed a wealth of practical considerations for practitioners wishing to implement SRH TTT programs in LMI country settings. ConclusionsThis scoping review identified a paucity of recent peer-reviewed literature available on SRH TTT programs in LMI country settings. Despite this, a number of practical considerations remain, relating to TTT methodology and design; factors that support or inhibit implementation; and sustainability and scaling up were identified. Future research should focus on adopting stronger outcome evaluation methodology to determine effectiveness of TTT programs; and investigate the application of TTT models across a range of SRH topics in a diverse range of LMI countries.

Online peer-led intervention to improve adolescent wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomised controlled trial

“…To facilitate a potential ripple effect in peer communities, future interventions could integrate peer leader training at the end of the intervention, to prepare adolescents to “pass on” what they learnt. Such “train-the-trainer” models have been used effectively to support sustainability of other types of intervention, for instance in the field of sexual and reproductive health [ 43 ].…”

Knowledge and awareness of policies and programmes to reduce adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: a qualitative study among key stakeholders

“…Knowledge and awareness are essential prerequisites and precursors of action and there is evidence that increased knowledge and awareness can lead to better implementation of policies and programmes [19], which may ultimately make these policies and programmes more effective and lead to improved SRH among adolescents [20]. However, to date, no study in sub-Saharan Africa has explored the awareness and knowledge of these policies and programmes among those responsible for implementing their related strategies and activities.…”