Foundational Spirometry Short Course, Mbeya Tanzania – July 2019

I love Mbeya! Every time I am blessed with the opportunity to travel, I learn something about myself as well as the place I am visiting. I have learnt that I love quiet small towns where people appear to live a paced and balanced existence. How did I get so lucky?

My week in Mbeya was spent together with the TB Sequel project site staff at the Mbeya Center of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in formal and informal spirometry training, quality assurance and over-reading. We spent time practicing in the clinic and learning in the classroom with the result that we have 17 new spirometrists in the making including individuals from the research teams as well as some newbies to spirometry from the Mbeya zonal referral hospital. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you grow into highly competent spirometrists and using spirometry in the hospitals as well as in research. I also know that the training will assist in producing not only high-quality spirometry results and quality assurance in research but that the potential for new spirometry clinics in hospital practice is a step closer to reality.

The overarching take home memory I have of spirometry in Mbeya was the beautiful sound of the church choir practicing as we conducted spirometry assessments on Thursday afternoon. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been in a story book. Thank you, TB Sequel, Olena, Andrea and Anka, Elimina, Rebekka and the whole team for affording me the opportunity to share my knowledge and live my passion. I loved my time with you.

Facilitator