Sandrine Mewoabi

Highly motivated, resilient,data-driven, and result-driven public health specialist. Currently Senior Technical Advisor for HIV Testing Services and Linkage with 15+ years of experience working in different capacities and providing leadership and oversight for the implementation of health interventions with about 10+ years in HIV/AIDS and related interventions within HIV programs. Working closely with the national AIDS control program, the Ministry of Health, civil organizations, and NGOs at health facilities, community and above sites to provide high-quality, client-centered HIV services. A strategic planner with project management competencies, elaborating program Annual work plans and budgets and supporting teams in the implementation of activities and Evidence-based interventions with scale and fidelity within timelines, budget and resource constraints to achieve the organization's goals and objectives. Great capacity to lead and work with culturally diverse teams. An advocate for for High burden diseases Elimination; HIV,TB and Malaria in Africa.

Holder of two Masters's degrees in Control of infectious diseases and Public Health, a post graduate diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation ,BSc in Medical Laboratory sciences and Certifications in Project Management, Leadership and Management in Global Health, Economic Evaluation in Global Health and fundamentals of Implementation Sciences from the University of Washington a a set of transferable skills accumulated from previous work and learning experiences.

• Trained, mentored, and coached over 400 staff from 85 sites on targeted provider-initiated testing counselling in health facilities and communities and 256 HCWs in 3 regions on GBV screening, trauma-centered care, and the provision of first-line support to victims.
• Conceived, elaborated, or reviewed and made available for routine use are new standard operating procedures, job aids, and training materials on HIV prevention services, index case testing, motivational counselling, KP-friendly services, community engagement and outreach services, PMTCT, AGYW, and ABYM services, GBV screening, and recency testing to track new HIV infections.
• identification, quality of care, follow-up and documentation of interruptions in treatment, DSD models, viral load sample collection, sample transportation, viral suppression, U=U messaging, patient rights, children's rights, GBV screening, and referral services.
• Coached, mentored, and supervised staff in supported sites on HIV testing or quality assurance, biosafety, biosecurity, TB, infection prevention and control, and the use of personal protective equipment.
• Set up, piloted, and mentored staff and community agents on the implementation of a new culturally acceptable community case-finding approach called "Chefferie Testing," which has a strong hold on the engagement of traditional leaders and has significantly improved community acceptance of HIV services case-finding, especially for men, tracking outcomes for lost follow-up, and reducing stigma and discrimination. The CDC has adopted the strategy as a COP strategy.
• Used data from the implementation of the Trace recency project to map out communities with recent HIV infections, intensify index case testing, and other targeted HIV testing strategies.
• Elaborated annual work plans and budgets and monitored the implementation of activities for efficiency and process indicators.
• Drafted quarterly and annual progress reports and shared performance feedback, challenges, proposed solutions, and lessons learned with internal and external stakeholders and other implementing partners through virtual or in-person meetings.
• Supported Identification of patients' and facility and community needs and prepared purchase requisition for basic site improvements and community outreach materials for 85 health facilities to improve acceptance of services, reduce stigma and discrimination, and create client-friendly spaces in supported health facilities, including confidentiality boxes, tables, chai, weighing scales, blood pressure machines, and blood sugar machines.
• Collaborated with the OVC partner and CBOs to strengthen the handshake model for effective linkages to improve pediatric case identification, community ART dispensation, peer-to-peer psychosocial support, community adolescent clubs, and positive prevention.
• Used data entry,analysis, and visualisation tools (DAMA, DHIS2, and DATIM) to analyse performance through different strategies, identify gaps and issues affecting target achievements, and put up quality improvement projects to change trends in a positive direction.
• Assessed, enrolled, and scaled up early infant diagnosis in 35 health facilities across 14 urban and rural health districts, providing access to early infant diagnosis and the return of results within the same day for 3200 HIV-exposed infant-mother pairs.
• Trained over 610 HCWs in the health facilities, health districts and regional level on point-of-care early infant diagnostics testing services; PMTCT services and use of conventional tools for following up mother-baby pairs, restructuring patient flow in Hospitals to reduce patient waiting time; Tracking mother-infant pairs at entry points and the community for PCR sample collection, return of results, and linkage to treatment or cohort monitoring.
• Trained over 70 lab workers on PCR sample collection, packaging transport, analysis of samples on the AlereQ (MPIMA) and GeneXpert platforms, equipment maintenance, biosafety, and the use of SMS printers to communicate results between Hub and spokes.
• Tracked issues affecting the smooth implementation of the project related to personnel, infrastructure, and equipment malfunctions, documented issues and error logs, assigned responsibilities, and worked with concerned parties and informed them to resolve issues.
• Collaborated with the CAP-TB program to integrate TB testing on HIV Gene-X-Pert testing platforms using the same sample transport network and trained regional trainers on GenX-Pert platforms.
• Organized advocacy meetings with civil society districts, regional, and national stakeholders to create demand for POC services in PMTCT and advocated for the buy-in of POC platforms for EID and sustainability.
• Empower 21 community-based private/district-owned community agents in community mobilisation of POC-EID service uptake, finding missing cases, and organizing quarterly POC-EID data review meetings with the regional delegation of public health and other stakeholders.
• National trainer of trainers Cameroon HIV National guidlines
• Enrolled 10 Hub sites in an external quality control program with a national public health laboratory
• National trainer for the HIV 1 Xpert Qual and Alere(M-Pima) POC platforms use and maintenance.
• Diamond trainer for providing first-line support.
• National trainer on Tracking with Recency assays to control the Epidemic and Data use.
• Service award in recognition of 01-year service, EGPAF, 2
• Award; Outstanding performance award, best student Masters in control of Infectious Diseases Institute Universitaire de l’Estuaire (IUES/INSAM) Douala 08/2012
• Best presentation award for presentation on Advancing the Career of Emerging Women in Education and Research for Health, Yaounde, 2015

• Certification and Continuing Education Unit, University of Washington. Economic Evaluation in Global Health,Washington 2023
• Certification and Continuing Education Unit University of Washington, Leadership and Management in Health, Washington 2023
• Certification and Continuing Education Unit, University Washington, Fundamentals of Implementation Science, Washington 2023
• Public Health Counseling, Udemy 12/2022
• Psychosocial Support Counseling, Udemy, 12/2022Unit,
• Diamond Trainer LIVES: Identifying Violence and First-Line Support, CDC, 10/2020
• PMD PRO 1 project management certification training, Humentum, 04/2018

• Member, Cameroon Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist
• Member, Higher Women in Health and Education, Cameroon
• member, Evergreen Business Initiatives

Publications

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic and Gender-Based Violence on Uptake of HIV Services in Touboro District Hospital, Cameroon. Texila International Journal of Public Health ISSN: 2520-3134 DOI: 10.21522/TIJPH.2013.10.01. Art024

Prevalence of Hepatitis B and Its Associated Factors Among People Living with

HIV and AIDS in Cameroon ejbps, 2020, Volume 7, Issue 8, 59-66

As far back as I can remember I have always read books. From fairy tales collections to the diary of a growing girl and Be the the best you can be. I once attempted to read all the complete works of Shakespeare, I also enjoyed Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility some African Novels like The old man and his medal, Things fall apart, the good foot and the battle of Lebialem just to name a few. In recent years, I indulge more in Scientific reviews. I write short stories and poems of my own when I get the inspiration and I enjoy creating lyrics and singing my own songs. I also engage in community sensitization and creating awareness on subjects like HIV,Malaria and TB prevention, Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Communicable diseases,Immunization and Chronic diseases . Community health and wellness is a course I am passionate about.