Health practitioners from 5 African countries meet in Monrovia

By Lincoln G. Peters

Over ninety health practitioners from five African countries are currently in Monrovia, participating in a week-long intensive and interactive brainstorming symposium of the World Health Organization (WHO’s) health emergencies country readiness strengthening workshop on infection prevention and control guidelines for Ebola and Marburg disease.  

The workshop officially kicked off here on Monday, December 4, 2023, and will end 8^th December. Participating countries include Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Liberia.

It is organized by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia. The dialogue is graced by county health officers, county health teams, and health practitioners. 

Highlights include inspection and control guidelines for Ebola, Marburg disease, and other viruses. It’s also aimed at building a resilient healthcare system with an improved IPC capacity that will significantly benefit Liberia and the represented countries.

WHO Family Planning & Population Advisor, Dr. Musu Duworko, who represented WHO Country Representative to Liberia, Dr. Peters Clement, expresses excitement and happiness over the gathering.

“I am excited over this gathering that we can now sit down and learn from Liberia’s experience in the IPC. We have the frontline here and I am glad about that. Being empowered with the knowledge and skills to protect our country’s IPC is very critical. Our target is to strengthen the resilience of our health system to respond when there is a case”, Dr. Duworko stated.

According to her, the objective is to ensure that IPC facility has the knowledge and skills to be able to provide care safely and keeping care providers and those coming for care safe, adding that trust in the health sector can lead to patient confidence which reduced self-treatment, misinformation and disinformation.

However, officially opening the workshop and providing a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation covering ten years of milestones on Ebola in West Africa, Liberia’s experience then and now, Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis N. Kateh said, Liberia has developed a comprehensive IPC to deal with future pandemic outbreak based on its experience from Ebola and COVID-19.

He describes the workshop as a win for Liberia and a reflection on what transpired in the country during the Ebola crisis and how can other African countries learn from the country’s health sector by listening to her experiences.

According to him, during the Ebola and COVID-19, Liberia came from lots of hopeless situation and later gained lots of positive things that happened in the health sector, assisting the country to defeat COVID-19

Dr. Kateh discloses that to enhance control and prevention of the infectious disease during the Ebola outbreak, Liberia established the public health institute, strategized how HR plays a major role in patient care, quality management unite, national quality strategy plan, and development of the Liberia National IPC strategies.  

“We had over three hundred health workers that got infected during the Ebola. Of that, one hundred and ninety-two died. And so, we have been able to improve the method of how to safely guide ourselves. To provide services, you have to be alive. And so, IPC is keeping them alive and doing what they love to do. Now, I want to welcome you all and declare this historic workshop open”, he added.  

National Public Health Institute of Liberia Director General, Ms. Jane Macauley, notes that Liberia finds itself at a critical juncture, rebuilding a resilience health system after enduring a crucial outbreak such as the 2014 Ebola and the recent challenges posed by COVID-19.

Your presence here, joining us from various parts of our continent and the globe marks a pivotal movement in the pursuit of blistering our healthcare system. This assembly holds a special significance as it unites individuals who have exhibited steadfast commitment amid risk and challenges In IPC. Liberia’s selection for this workshop is timely”, DG Macauley concludes. Editing by Jonathan Browne