Weekly Epidemiological Report

June 2020 Week 25

Editoral

COVID-19: NCDC Launches Online Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Training Course

Posted: 08-07-2020 01:27:23 PM

The role of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the delivery of public health and clinical services since the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic cannot be over-emphasised. As at 5th July 2020, a total of 1540 HCWs have been infected in Nigeria. This is in the same vein as hundreds of thousands of HCWs that have been infected across the world.

Given the high susceptibility of HCWs to this virus, the safety of health workers has been at the forefront of Nigeria’s response strategy to COVID-19. NCDC has continued to train the critical mass of its health workforce across the country on the principles of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for COVID-19. In addition to this, NCDC has ensured country-wide distribution of necessary personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other medical consumables to health facilities in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to ensure the safety of HCWs and the public at large.

To date, NCDC has supported the training of over 17,000 health workers in IPC and has established a network of IPC focal persons/experts nationwide. Furthermore, we have been deploying IPC experts as parts of our rapid response teams (RRTs), to support states’ response activities and strengthen the IPC capacity of state healthcare workers. These efforts have aided in the reduction of recently reported number of HCWs infection.

Despite the constraints of COVID-19, the NCDC continues to find innovative ways to ensure HCWs, at all levels, have seamless access to IPC training thereby bridging knowledge gaps and ultimately reducing COVID-19 related infection and death in health workers. In line with this, NCDC has launched an online training course on Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19 targeted at HCWs but available to the public as well.

The training curriculum incorporates existing national IPC tools in line with global best practices. Some of the course modules include:

1. Transmission of COVID-19

2. Understanding and breaking the chain of infection

3. Screening and triaging for COVID-19: screen, identify and notify

4. Standard precautions: hand hygiene practice and use of PPEs

5. Transmission based precautions

6. Environmental cleaning including waste management

7. Setting up an IPC programme at a health facility etc.

The NCDC is committed to building the capacity and resilience of all HCWs in IPC measures vis a vis epidemic preparedness and response. We urge HCWs at all levels (public and private) and members of the public to make good use of this unique opportunity by enrolling for this course which can be accessed here. Enrolment is free and certificate of participation is automatically issued on successful completion of the course.


Summary of Incidents

Notes

1. Information for this disease was retrieved from the Technical Working Group and Situation Reports

2. Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for this disease is reported for confirmed cases only

3. Information for this disease was retrieved from IDSR 002 data

4. CFR for this disease is reported for total cases i.e. suspected + confirmed

5. Information for sentinel influenza was retrieved from the laboratory


Lassa Fever

Key points

• There were 56 suspected cases, five laboratory confirmed cases and two deaths were recorded from 23 LGAs in ten states and the FCT

Actions

To date:

• National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels

Planned:

• Continue resource mobilisation


Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)

Key points

There were five suspected cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) reported from three LGAs in two states (Katsina – 4 & Osun - 1). There was no laboratory confirmed case and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National CSM TWG meets weekly to review reports from states and plan appropriately

• Enhanced surveillance in all states

Planned:

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data

• Continue to ensure that states reporting cases send their line lists and collect CSM samples


Yellow Fever

Key points

• There were 18 suspected cases of Yellow Fever (YF) reported from 16 LGAs in 12 states. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National multiagency YF Technical Working Group (TWG) is coordinating response activities

Planned:

• Continue harmonisation of surveillance and laboratory data ongoing


Cholera

Key points

• There was no case of cholera reported this week

Actions

To date

• National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) is monitoring all states and supporting already affected states

Planned:

• Continue follow up and monitoring of non-reporting states

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data


Measles

Key points

• There were 155 suspected cases of measles reported from 64 LGAs in 15 states and FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date

• National Measles TWG is closely monitoring measles surveillance data and providing feedback to relevant agencies and development partners

• Weekly surveillance and laboratory data harmonisation ongoing

Planned:

• Continue monthly measles surveillance data review


Monkeypox

Key points

• There was no case of monkeypox reported this week

Actions

To date

• National Monkeypox Technical Working Group (TWG) is monitoring activities in all states

Planned:

• Enhance surveillance for monkeypox in high burden states

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data


Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)

Key points

• There were 125 suspected cases of AFP reported from 108 LGAs in 28 states and FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded


Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Actions

To date:

• National COVID-19 multi-partner Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) continues to coordinate response activities across states

• A total of 40 National Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to support affected states

• Disseminated links for IPC training modules through various health care workers network

• Deployment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) commodities to the sample collection centres in FCT

• Ongoing processing of PPE requests from states and treatment centres

Planned:

• Activate laboratories in Borno, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger states for COVID-19 testing

• Strengthen the uptake, adaptation, and utilisation of risk communication messages at the sub-national level

• Finalise protocol for expansion of influenza sentinel sites and include COVID-19 testing

• Commence implementation of Events- Based Surveillance (EBS) in six states


National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance

Key points

• The subtypes A seasonal H3, 2009A/H1N1 and A/not subtyped account for 0 (0.0%), 2 (9.5%) and 19 (90.5%) of the total influenza A positive sample respectively. The subtypes B VICTORIA, B Not subtyped and B Yamagata account for 0 (0.0%), 8 (100%) and 0 (0.0%) of the total influenza B positive samples respectively.

• The percentage influenza positive was highest in week 10 with 40%.


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

Highlight of the week

  • Summary of Incidents
  • Lassa Fever
  • Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)
  • Yellow Fever
  • Cholera
  • Measles
  • Monkeypox
  • Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)
  • Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
  • National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

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