FRESHAIR4Life countries begin implementation following Teach the Teacher

Country Masters from Uganda, Greece, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Romania, are now adapting teaching materials following the the highly engaging FRESHAIR4Life Teach the Teacher sessions.   The aim of these  "Tier 1" sessions was to strengthen their competence and confidence by equipping them with the skills to lead the implementation of their selected FRESHAIR4Life interventions within their national teams.  During the Tier 1 sessions,  five international experts from the IPCRG Master Faculty worked interactively with the national teachers on key topics essential to the project - teaching methods, working with adolescents, behaviour change, Very Brief Advice (VBA), peer learning, co-design of interventions, and the If-Then approach (Implementation Intentions).  The adaptatation of the intervention itself to each country context is co-led by the country team and WP4. IPCRG's role is to enable its translation into practice, using education strategies.

Now, as part of this four-year project with staggered start dates,  the Country Masters in Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Greece have now adapted and translated the teaching programme to teach the professionals who will lead implementation in their country. In Pakistan, the team is collaborating with Karachi United Football Club, delivering their first teaching session to coaches of a four-session smoking prevention programme using the If/then approach. Kyrgyzstan has conducted the first of two sessions in Bishkek and Chui, preparing over 60 GPs and nurses to deliver VBA.   In Greece, nursing clinical fellows will provide VBA to students (18–21) who smoke, while the If-Then approach will be introduced in three middle schools and three high schools. The Greek team is currently working with teachers and parents to finalise their plans.  WP5 is working with the country teams to collect data to enable an evaluation of the impact of the teaching.

Each country team'implementation and paedagogical strategies are supported by their dedicated Master Faculty mentor: Darush Attar-Zadeh (VBA and tobacco cessation), Kym Rizzo Liu (working with adolescents and school-based health promotion) and Lindsay Welch (nursing, tobacco cessation, adolescent health, teaching, and curriculum design).

Meanwhile, Romania and Uganda are finalising their intervention selection and developing their implementation strategies. Amanda Barnard, IPCRG Director, is mentoring Uganda, while Hilary Wareing is guiding Romania.

The next key event for FRESHAIR4Life is fast approaching, as the entire consortium will come together for the FRESHAIR4Life Annual Meeting on 10 April, just ahead of the IPCRG Scientific Meeting in Brașov. This gathering will provide an opportunity to reflect on progress, share experiences, and align strategies for the next phases of implementation.