Field Placement:  OMS/WHO
Location: Dakar, West Africa
Preceptor: Dr. Isseu Diop Toure
Student Name: Kyoko Shimamoto
Year: 2008

I conducted my field study with OMS/WHO Sénégal in Dakar, West Africa, from June 23rd to September 17, 2008 for 3 months. I was assigned to work for Family Health Program (FHP) and Making Pregnancy Safer (MPS), and my supervisor was Dr Isseu Diop Touré in charge of the component as Technical Consultant. The objective of my field study was to acquire practical experience at OMS/WHO field office and gain relevant skills and knowledge to pursue a working opportunity with the organization in future in Sub- Saharan Africa. The motivation aroused while working for NGOs, whose experiences made me realize strong need of national policy and program intervention, and developed enthusiasm to be engaged in these efforts.

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the UN system, and its objective shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries. The budget of WHO is composed of “Assessed Contribution” and “Voluntary Contribution” from 193 membership states, and its yearly budget is determined by voting at the board assembly in May.

Specifically, FHP covers MPS, Child and Adolescent Health (CAH) and Nutrition, and provides technical assistance to the relevant divisions of the MOH, such as Reproductive Health Division (DSR) and Division of Nutrition and Infant Survival (DANSE), in terms of their policy and program management.

Following activities were conducted and relevant results were achieved in the course of my field study as planned in my scope of work: 1) Literature review and elaboration of report about reproductive health; 2) Attend internal and external meetings; 3) Elaboration of National Health Development Plan (PNDS) 2 (2009-2018) with Adolescent Health sub-committee under “Mother, newborn baby, infant and adolescent” committee; 4) Policy and program monitoring/evaluation through workshops, meetings and field visit. Capacity building workshops were postponed due to the delay of fund transfer from the regional office.

My field study was strongly related to my academic experience at UCLA. Especially, knowledge and skills gained from CHS211A&B (Program planning, research and evaluation) was useful in conducting formative research and program design for PNDS, and the lecture gave me an insight to analyse ongoing program management activities. The concepts and knowledge gained by the Bixby program requirement courses also provided me with preliminary understanding about the reality on reproductive health issues in Sénégal.

Through my field study, I developed formative research and policy/program elaboration skills in working for PNDS. Accompany to JICA mission in Tambacounda also enabled me to practice observation and interview skills. Furthermore, I accumulated knowledge on reproductive health issues through these formative research and literature reviews, specifically about adolescent health and maternal and child health.

I learned that good communication skill and interpersonal relation is the key in attempting a field study in international setting. It is important to put enhanced effort to communicate and relate with a supervisor and personnel in the agency, because a student lacks understanding on local society and culture. I am very satisfied that my field study enabled me to develop my professional, academic and personal development in several aspects, such as gaining working experience with the organization with practical understanding on its work and necessary professional competency; gaining knowledge and skills on the policy/program intervention; and improvement of communication and interpersonal relation skills.

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