King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre supports infection prevention and control programme in Sindh Province, Pakistan
3 February 2021 – A HIV outbreak in Larkana, Sindh province, Pakistan, in April 2019 resulted in 803 people contracting HIV, as reported in June 2019. The outbreak investigation conducted by WHO and international partners showed that the outbreak was the result of poor infection, prevention control measures, risky injection practices and inadequate waste management.
With the generous support of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), funds were raised to respond to the outbreak and establish a provincial wide infection, prevention and control programme, with special attention on the Larkana district. Project activities started in January 2020 coinciding with the emergence of COVID-19, which served to highlight the importance of effective infection, prevention and control measures in combating infectious diseases.
Since January 2020, extensive progress has been made. An IPC unit was established at the provincial level through ministerial decrees to coordinate activities, and federal guidelines on infection, prevention and control measures were released in April 2020. Activities focused on enhancing the capacity of 40 provincial master trainers who received repeated extensive didactic and practical training on infection, prevention and control practices by WHO and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infection Prevention and Control and Anti-Microbial Resistance in Saudi Arabia. The master trainers will cascade the training to 132 staff in 38 hospitals in Sindh province until March 2021. In the 6 hospitals in Larkana, which was the epicentre of the HIV outbreak, full time hospital teams and committees have been assigned and trained to develop and implement infection, prevention and control policies and procedures. Essential supplies for effective infection, prevention and control were provided. As the end of 2020, quality improvements were documented in Larkana hospitals where the average score for infection, prevention and control assessed by WHO increased from 73/800 to 340/800. Improvements were observed mainly in injection safety, waste management procedures, reprocessing of instruments, and environmental cleaning. Repeated auditing of infection, prevention and control practices will be conducted on a regular basis to identify remaining gaps and enhance capacities and implementation of effective measures.
Africa records over 500 000 COVID-19 cases
Brazzaville/Cairo, 8 July 2020 – COVID-19 infections in Africa today surpassed 500 000, and there is concern as a growing number of countries are experiencing a sharp rise in cases. So far, in less than 5 months, the virus has claimed 11 959 lives, overtaking the 11 308 lives lost in the world’s worst Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
Cases have more than doubled in 22 countries in the Region over the past month. Nearly two thirds of countries are experiencing community transmission. Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa account for about 71% of COVID-19 cases. South Africa alone accounts for 43% of the continent’s total cases.
However, the accelerating growth trend is not uniform across the continent, with some countries recording a steady rise in cases, indicating a protracted pandemic. Eritrea, Gambia, Mali, Seychelles and Togo are witnessing long doubling times and low growth rates. Seychelles had not experienced a case in nearly 2 months, but in the past week had dozens of new imported cases, linked to crew members of an international fishing vessel. There are also some signs of progress as 10 countries have experienced a downward trend over the past month. Although Egypt accounts for 15% of cumulative cases, it has seen a decline in the past week.
“With more than a third of countries in Africa doubling their cases over the past month, the threat of COVID-19 overwhelming fragile health systems on the continent is escalating,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “So far the continent has avoided disaster and if countries continue to strengthen key public health measures such as testing, tracing contacts and isolating cases, we can slow down the spread of the virus to a manageable level.”
Eighty-eight per cent of COVID-19 infections are among people aged 60 and below, likely due to Africa’s relatively young population. However, the likelihood of dying from COVID-19 rises with increasing age and the existence of co-morbidities, with the risk of death among patients aged 60 years and above being 10 times higher compared with those below 60.
"Communities across the continent have a crucial role to play in controlling the pandemic, especially as countries begin easing lockdowns and opening up their borders," said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. "As governments continue to implement public health measures, individuals must remain as cautious and vigilant as ever to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. Hand washing, mask use, physical distancing and other preventative measures are key to controlling transmission, saving lives, and ensuring that already overwhelmed health systems are not stretched to breaking point."
As COVID-19 continues to spread, thousands of health workers have also fallen ill. Equipping and protecting health workers is one of the central pillars of the COVID-19 response.
WHO is working to support countries respond to COVID-19 by providing technical guidance, crucial medical equipment and has remotely trained more than 25 000 health workers. WHO has also organized more than 420 shipments of key equipment, including more than 3000 oxygen concentrators, 23 000 GeneXpert diagnostic testing machines and almost 4 million pieces of personal protective equipment for health care workers.
Joining forces to manage the ‘infodemic’
29 June 2020 – In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the phenomenon of an ‘infodemic’ has escalated to a level that requires a coordinated response. As WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned the world of this threat of an ‘infodemic’, it is getting harder for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance needed due to an overabundance of information-some accurate and some not-occurring during a disease outbreak.
To tackle this threat for current and future generations, WHO is today hosting its first Global Infodemiology Conference, starting on 29 June 2020. The conference is bringing together experts around the world to:
- highlight the multidisciplinary nature of infodemic management;
- identify examples and tools to help manage infodemics;
- build an agenda to direct focus and investment to this emerging field;
- establish a community of practice and research.
What is infodemic mangament?
An infodemic is an overabundance of information – some accurate and some not – occurring during an epidemic. In a similar manner to an epidemic it spreads between humans through digital and physical information systems. During epidemics and crises, it becomes even more important to disseminate accurate information quickly, identify and lower barriers for individuals to take steps to protect themselves, their families and communities against the infection. Even when people have access to high-quality information, there are still barriers they must overcome to take the recommended action. Like pathogens in epidemics, misinformation spreads further and faster and adds complexity to health emergency response.
An infodemic cannot be eliminated but it can be managed. To respond effectively to infodemics, WHO calls for adaptation, development, validation and evaluation of new evidence-based measures and practices to prevent, detect and respond to mis- and disinformation.
Infodemic management uses many skillsets to prioritize and problem solve the issue of too much and inaccurate information about the current COVID-19 infodemic. The infodemic dimension should be considered a pillar of an integrative approach to public health in complex knowledge societies.
The history of public health in the 20th and 21st century is full of examples of how misinformation caused harm during outbreaks and continued to do damage in trust in health authorities long afterward. The tools at health authorities’ disposal have been limited and expertise siloed.
The stakes are higher in a digitized world, where misinformation and mixed messages overwhelm individuals and communities. This is not just a communication problem, but it requires a full rethinking of evidence-based approaches to infodemic management, putting people and communities at the center.
Everyone has a role in managing infodemic
In early April, WHO has convened a public consultation to crowdsource ideas for an infodemic management framework, with a whole-of-society perspective. Everyone has a role to play in infodemic response, and from the response, it became clear that establishing the foundations of the science of infodemic management was a priority for all regions of the world
It is everyone’s responsibility to amplify reliable, evidence-based information. Earlier this month, the UN Secretary-General presented a set of recommended actions to ensure everyone is “connected, respected and protected in the digital age”. Tools have been developed that can help Member States combat the infodemic. It’s vital that countries become more proficient in their knowledge and use of these tools to effectively manage infodemics.
WHO echoed this in its resolution on COVID-19, adopted at this year’s World Health Assembly, which called on countries, international organizations and others to counter disinformation and prevent the proliferation of both disinformation and misinformation.
Related link
First WHO Infodemiology Conference