Consultants are working collectively to convey down charges of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in low- and middle-income international locations, which might be at the very least 3 occasions larger than these in high-income international locations. Healthcare professionals skilled in an infection prevention and management (IPC) are important to cut back HAIs and enhance affected person and healthcare employee security, however many healthcare amenities in low- and middle-income international locations lack skilled IPC professionals.
CDC and ICAP at Columbia College collaborated with companions in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia to develop and set up IPC coaching applications. These applications goal to equip IPC professionals with the information and abilities wanted to successfully implement IPC applications in a wide range of healthcare settings.
Sierra Leone
Throughout the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Well being (MoH) acknowledged the necessity for skilled IPC personnel and appointed and skilled healthcare professionals to grow to be IPC workers in any respect district hospitals. Following the outbreak, the Sierra Leone MoH requested help from U.S. CDC to develop and implement a complete coaching program for IPC professionals.
This request led to CDC’s collaboration with ICAP, Sierra Leone MoH, the World Well being Group, and An infection Management Africa Community in 2017 to develop Sierra Leone’s IPC coaching program, named the Sierra Leone Superior IPC Certificates Course.
“This initiative has revolutionized Sierra Leone’s strategy to an infection prevention and management,” mentioned Christiana Kallon, Nationwide IPC Coordinator. “By empowering and mentoring healthcare professionals, we’ve got considerably bolstered our protection towards infectious ailments.”
ICAP led the event of the competency-based curriculum, a 6-month course that mixes classroom studying with hands-on coaching. Program members obtain mentorship from Sierra Leone MoH, CDC-Sierra Leone, ICAP and different native companions all through this system.
The course formally launched in 2019 and 60 healthcare suppliers have graduated throughout three cohorts (10 from the nationwide stage, 15 from districts, 35 from well being amenities). Nearly all of graduates (70%) proceed to work as IPC focal factors – healthcare staff chargeable for implementing IPC measures – on the nationwide, district, or well being facility stage or maintain different IPC roles. These graduates have performed pivotal roles in implementing IPC actions throughout all well being system ranges together with:
- Being actively concerned within the nationwide IPC program (88% of nationwide IPC unit personnel are coaching program graduates), which performs an important position in overseeing implementation of nationwide IPC pointers to make sure healthcare security.
- Instructing lessons within the Superior IPC Certificates Course and offering one-on-one mentorship to new trainees in this system (30% of graduates have taught or mentored new program trainees).
- Taking part in emergency response groups to develop and implement efficient IPC methods throughout outbreaks equivalent to Lassa fever and COVID-19.
Ethiopia
Utilizing information gained from Sierra Leone’s Superior IPC Certificates Course, CDC and ICAP started work in February 2023 with companions in Ethiopia, together with the Ethiopian MoH and Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical Faculty, to implement a equally structured 6-month program referred to as the An infection Prevention and Management Superior Coaching Program or IPCAP.
The hands-on studying tasks have been tailored for Ethiopia’s present priorities, together with microbiology, injection security, and HAI surveillance. Members of the Nationwide IPC Program on the MoH, CDC-Ethiopia, and different IPC professionals in Ethiopia mentored the trainees all through their area work.
The primary cohort of 19 trainees in Ethiopia graduated in October 2023. The trainees have been IPC focal factors from 16 completely different healthcare amenities and three Regional Well being Bureaus (RHBs). IPC focal factors from healthcare amenities with ongoing collaborations with the Nationwide IPC Unit have been prioritized for the primary coaching cohort. Though in early phases of implementation, the latest graduates of IPCAP proceed to function IPC focal factors at healthcare amenities and RHBs the place they’re now main high quality enchancment tasks and implementation of HAI surveillance per the nationwide protocol.
Sustaining Success
The third cohort of Sierra Leone’s Superior IPC Certificates Course was delivered in partnership with Njala College. Sierra Leone MoH is now exploring the potential for increasing course supply to different native universities to satisfy demand and enhance sustainability. Ethiopia’s MoH can also be figuring out alternatives to maintain the IPC coaching program.
Study extra about what CDC and companions are doing globally to observe and stop HAIs.
Authors:
Lindsay Tompkins, PhD, MS is an epidemiologist on the Implementation Group within the Worldwide An infection Management Department within the Division of Healthcare High quality and Promotion on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention in Atlanta.
Karen Wu, DVM, MSPH is an epidemiologist on the Implementation Group within the Worldwide An infection Management Department within the Division of Healthcare High quality and Promotion on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention in Atlanta.
