NEWTON, MA | January 13, 2010
A new online course is now available for public health professionals, educators, nonprofits, and employers interested in building expertise in violence and injury prevention. TEACH-VIP E-Learning is based on TEACH-VIP, a comprehensive injury prevention and control curriculum developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a global network of prevention experts. The curriculum was adapted for the Web by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in collaboration with WHO and was pilot tested globally. It was produced with funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
TEACH-VIP E-Learning addresses a broad range of topics related to preventing injuries, violence, and suicide. It offers guidance on using data to understand injury problems and developing evidence-based programs to address them. The course is designed for public health professionals and care providers; staff of public health ministries and other government sectors; nongovernmental organizations; and university students in schools of medicine, nursing, and public health.
“Injuries are a major global public health problem, killing nearly 6 million people each year, and harming millions more,” said Dr. David Meddings of the World Health Organization who helped direct the project. “Yet knowledge about injury and violence prevention is lacking. These online lessons allow individuals to acquire important knowledge and understanding to prevent injuries and violence at their own pace and on the topics most relevant to them.”
The self-paced curriculum features 20 lessons that can be customized to accommodate individual needs and schedules. Each lesson can be completed in about one hour—with optional activities and readings available. Lessons are organized into four categories: Foundations and Methods; Unintentional Injuries (e.g., traffic injuries, drowning, and falls); Violence and Intentional Injuries (e.g., child maltreatment and suicide); and Societal Responses to Injury and Violence.
Each lesson includes an overview, chapters, interactive quizzes, activity options, and resources.
Reviewers from the 18 countries involved in pilot testing called TEACH-VIP E-Learning “user-friendly,” “well thought out,” and “comprehensive.” Printer-friendly versions of the lessons and most of the publications in the resources section of each lesson can be downloaded, printed, used offline, or distributed in electronic or print formats using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. The course is also available in CD-ROM format.
To access TEACH-VIP E-Learning, visit http://teach-vip.edc.org/
EDC is a global nonprofit organization that develops, delivers, and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages more than 350 projects in 35 countries. TEACH-VIP E-Learning was developed by EDC’s division of Health & Human Development at: www.hhd.org.
