VAHA and Cameroon Center For Evidence Based Health Care Organizes A Two Day Training Workshop for Women on Evidence Based Research in Health

Recently, there has been a strong drive towards encouraging and involving women to take up leadership, governance and decision-making positions in order to effect the long awaited transformation of nations and the African Continent that men have not accomplished (Julian Cribb, 2016). Indeed, women have the potential to lead the change process. But, for them to better play their roles as women leaders, they need to inform their decisions with the best available evidence from systematic research. However, many women are not strongly engaged in evidence for decision-making as their involvement in scientific research has been very insufficient compared to their male counterparts, especially within the African Continent, including Cameroon. If women develop their skills and engage in evidence for decision-making, there is an increased likelihood that they will be motivated to use evidence to inform their decisions as leaders, managers, governors and policy-makers.

It is for this reason that the Cameroon Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Value Health Africa, with support from the Joanna Briggs Collaboration, Australia, organized a two day capacity-building research training workshops for women who want to become female research scientists and engaged in evidence for decision-making. Organized at the Training School for State Registered Nurses, Regional Hospital Bamenda, from the 18th-19th November 2016, this training had as objective to enable participants develop skills and expert knowledge in conducting evidence based research so as to conveniently make sustainable contributions and participate in the decision making process in Cameroon and Africa at large.

With experts and professionals from the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, and the Catholic University of Bamenda, represented by the Head of Research, Dr. Yongabi Kenneth, participants were engaged in intensive knowledge sharing and presentation sessions, including drawing from life experiences and initiatives to demonstrate vital issues. Modules presented or addressed ranged from exploring the role of women in evidence based research for decision making in Cameroon and Africa, conducting literature review in research, to Research proposal development, good report writing skills in both the quantitative and Qualitative Aspects of Research. Mr. Asahngwa Constantine, Director of the Cameroon Center for Evidence Based Health Care, drilled participants in depth on quantitative and qualitative research, drawing from factual and life experiences.

At the end of the workshop, participants were called upon to be active influencers and innovators in the process of sustainable development in Cameroon. The training workshop left all participants feeling empowered and motivated, as most recalled and reemphasized on the timeliness of this initiative, which will go a long way to boost not only their academic careers, but will contribute a great deal to their future aspirations, especially for those intending to embark on a research career path way. The major feedback of this training can be seen in the joint resolution adopted by all to establish a research network and team so as to realize a research publication come next year 2017.