Darwin an Ideal Location for Ebola Training

Ebola Training of public health specialists and epidemiologists being deployed to West Africa took place in Darwin this week, ensuring participants are fully prepared for situations they may face on duty.
While the 22 participants, from Australia, as well as Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and India, are highly qualified and respected health professionals who understand issues of infection control and healthcare, the intense training was equipping them with skills which they would not normally face in a working environment.
Developed by RedR Australia and the World Health Organisation ( WHO) and  the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), training was specifically designed for Ebola responders deploying to affected regions and included simulation experienced which mirrored potential circumstances of personal safety, security, community engagement, care and cultural safety.
The three day intensive training session was delivered in partnership with the School of Health at Charles Darwin University (CDU). RedR and CDU recently entered into an alliance  to collaborate in the provision of education, training and research for the humanitarian, emergency and disaster management sector. This is the first of several courses to be held over the next three to six months as RedR Australia, WHO and other responding organisations prepare to send their professionals into the field to fight Ebola.
Tony Stewart, an Australian medical epidemiologist who chairs the GOARN in Geneva told the ABC that while the health workers would mostly be in relatively safe environments, the training was designed to make sure they could handle confronting situations.
"We want to make sure they're psychologically prepared for that if they do find themselves facing a roadblock or a curfew," he said. "They will be facing a lot of confronting situations with communities who are stressed by the outbreak."
But the main thrust of the training was on preparing to fight Ebola itself.
Darwin, with its hot and humid weather, was the ideal place to simulate conditions in West Africa.
Also talking to ABC, health worker, Leslee Roberts, who headed to Sierra Leone as soon as she completed training, said it had been a worthwhile exercise. "It's looked at the disease itself but also security and safety issues," she told the ABC.
"We've had people here who have already been in West Africa and come back and really given us good idea about what's happening on the ground now."
RedR Australia is a leading humanitarian agency for international emergency relief. We provide skilled people and training to help communities rebuild and recover in times of crisis. When disaster strikes, we mobilise the right people with the right skills to make a difference. Our internationally recognised training courses prepare aspiring aid workers for life in the field and help experienced humanitarians further hone their skills.
RedR Australia was established in 1992 and is a leading humanitarian agency for international emergency relief. Over the past two decades it has deployed more than 700 people to over 70 countries