Background: In Rwanda, Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve a crucial function in providing community-based maternal and neonatal health (CBMNH) services. However, limited access to refresher training contributes to knowledge gaps among CHWs, affecting their confidence and ability to execute their roles effectively. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of eLearning on enhancing and maintaining CHWs’ knowledge of CBMNH. Methods: This prospective cohort study, conducted from April-October 2021 in two Rwandan districts, evaluated knowledge acquisition and retention among 36 Community Health Workers (CHWs) participating in an eLearning course. Knowledge scores were measured using a structured questionnaire administered pre-training, post-training, and at a six-month follow-up. Descriptive analysis and paired t-tests were used to assess mean score differences, exploring the effectiveness of this eLearning approach. Results: This study demonstrated an improvement in Community Health Workers’ (CHWs) performance scores following eLearning training, with an average rise from 86.5% to 98.2%. The improvement was sustained at a six-month follow-up. Statistical significance was found between age category and CHWs’ pre and post-test performance (p=0.01, p=0.04 respectively), and between years of experience and pre-test scores (p=0.02), highlighting demographic influences on training outcomes. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that eLearning is an effective method for enhancing and retaining CHWs’ knowledge of CBMNH. The findings support the use of eLearning as a valuable strategy for strengthening the capacity of CHWs in Rwanda and other countries with similar contexts.

Introduction: Scrub typhus is a neglected life threatening acute febrile illness caused by bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi and it is a vector-borne zoonotic disease. In 2009, scrub typhus outbreak at Gedu has awakened Bhutan on the awareness and testing of the disease.Information and data of the study highlights the need for in depth surveillance, awareness among prescribers and initiate preventive measures in the country. Methods: We used retrospective descriptive study through review of laboratory registers across three health centres in Zhemgang district, south central Bhutan. The laboratories registers have been transcribed into CSV file using Microsoft excel. Variables of interest were collected from the registers and then analysed using open statistical software R, (R Core Team (2020). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.) And use of mStats package, (MyoMinnOo (2020). mStats: Epidemiological DataAnalysis. R package version 3.4.0.) Results: Of the total 922 tests prescribed for suspected scrub typhus in the three health centers in Zhemgang, only 8.2 % (n=76) were tested positive. Of these, Panbang Hospital had highest reported positive for scrub typhus with 56.6 %( n=43) followed by Yebilaptsa Hospital 35.5 %( n=27) and Zhemgang Hospital with 7.9 %( n=6). The female gender is comparably more affected as opposed to male with 57.9% (n=44) of the positive cases being female. The prevalence of scrub typhus seems to be affected by the seasonal variation as the months of Spring, Summer and Autumn together accounts for 98.7%(n=75) of total positive cases. The year 2019 noted significant scrub typhus cases accounting to 89.5 %(n=68) of the total positive cases over the two years. Conclusions:The overall tests tested positive of the scrub typhus infection within two years was 8.2%.