FNU CMNHS Regional COVID-19 Response

1.0 Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and still unpredictable given the continued emergence of variants and widespread relaxation of public health measures. In addition, recent evidence on the waning effect of COVID-19 vaccines and continued vaccine resistance in the Pacific mean that Pacific populations will continue to remain vulnerable to future wave of disease. In June 2021, DFAT endorsed a funding agreement to support the implementation of the activity “FNU CMNHS COVID-19 Response, under the College’s Pacific Regional strategy.

The main purpose of the strategy and the funding is to enable the FNU through CMNHS to deliver relevant COVID-19 related and accredited academic programs, short trainings and conduct COVID-19 related research in Fiji and the region. DFAT’s support will assist the College’s regional response to COVID-19 as well as prepare it for future pandemics; and will significantly assist the institution to respond to the health training and research needs of the region during COVID-19. Under Grant 1, the CMNHS will be able to address the emerging training needs of the region with regards to the disease, and its management in Pacific settings. In addition, the College will identify challenges specific to learning and teaching during a global pandemic and create learning systems that are pandemic resilient. Funding of staff research projects in COVID-19 will stimulate the growth of Pacific based health research and provide knowledge on the impact of COVID-19 in Pacific health care settings. Grant 2 will provide direct funding to build and enhance Pacific driven research in COVID-9 through the establishment of a dedicated facility for laboratory-based communicable disease research at the CMNHS. Through this grant, serological surveys of the Fijian population will directly inform COVID-19 interventions for the country, specifically the need and timing of vaccine boosters and, possibly similar surveys throughout the region.

2.0 Key Objectives

The DFAT aid program has provided core budget support to CMNHS for many years. The DFAT funding is aligned with the key objectives of the FNU CMNHS Regional Response Strategy, primarily focused on enhancing the capacity of the CMNHS to: –

• Respond to health training needs of its current students and staff during COVID and develop relevant Learning & Teaching protocols, modes, and mediums for Learning & Teaching especially for programmes which include community engagement and clinical
• Support Learning & Teaching (L&T) planning, access and hosting of short courses and research needs of the region; and
• Conduct relevant COVID-19 related research in Fiji and the region to inform and strengthen existing policies, protocols, guidelines, practice in support of current and future health professional cadres.

3.0 Key Outcomes

There are four key outcomes for the project, two of which are related to Learning and Teaching at the College (Outcomes 1 & 2) while the remaining two (Outcomes 3B, and 4) are research based. Outcomes 1, 2, 3B and 4 are projects based at CMNHS. FNU CMNHS Regional COVID-19 Response comprises of Outcome 1, 2, 3B and 4:

• Outcome 1: Build future-looking resilient education and training systems for the Pacific health workforce based on lessons learnt from COVID-19 (Learning & Teaching).
• Outcome 2: Enhance in-country education and training using learning technologies and other resources to meet desired learning outcomes (Learning & Teaching).
• Outcome 3B: Enhance communicable disease research initiatives for public protection, pandemic adaptation & preparedness, future communicable disease screening and testing using evidence gathered from COVID-19 pandemic (Research), and
• Outcome 4: Support and strengthen the Pacific Health Observatory within FIPHR to be a resource hub for health information, policy, and vanguard for PICs health research, (Research).

FNU CMNHS & Fiji MHMS Impact Study: (COVID-19 Population based age-stratified assessment of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in Fiji (PASS Fiji), 2022-2024). The FNU CMNHS/FIJI MHMS comprises of Outcome 3A:

• Outcome 3A: is a research partnership between the College (through the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research) and the Ministry of Health & Medical Services, (Fiji).

4.0 Implementing Team

(i) Governance

The Project Advisory Group (PAG) is the overall governance mechanism for the project. Annual meetings will be convened to review and endorse work plans and review progress of activity implemented to ensure the program activities remain relevant to learning and teaching and research study. Quality assurance will be discussed through technical expert advice and oversight on the implementation of the project and support the monitoring the progress activities towards completion.

The Technical Advisory Group and the Steering Committee will provide technical guidance oversight and support to progress study activities towards completion for the COVID-19 Population based age-stratified assessment of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in Fiji (PASS Fiji), 2022-2024

(ii) FNU CMNHS Regional COVID-19 Response

The team consist of support and technical staff for the following:-

Grant 1: Project Admin Officer, Senior Research Officer – CDRC; Research Coordinator – PHO, Research Assistant and temporary staff for the 2 studies: Research Officer – LIFCO-DP, and Research Coordinators, Research Assistant, Data Assistant and transcribers for the 4 country Health Care Workers study.

Grant 2: Study Coordinator and Senior Project Officer and temporary staff for the study (Data Manager, Research Assistant, Laboratory Technicians, Nurses and Phlebotomist).

5.0 Partners:

The ‘FNU CMNHS REGIONAL COVID-19 RESPONSE’ is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(DFAT) in partnership with the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS), Fiji National University (FNU).