NCDC Launches Online Course on COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases

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The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has launched a course on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for the COVID- 19 and other infectious diseases.

The course, which will be taught online, is aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases amongst the general public, particularly the healthcare workers in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a statement that was made available to the general public by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

According to the latest report by NCDC as at July 9, 2020, a total of 30,249 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 684 deaths have been recorded in Nigeria. Additionally, as at 02 June 2020, about 812 health care workers have been infected in-country, compared to over 230,000 infected health workers around the world.

The NCDC pointed out that the national strategy in response to COVID-19 has been in different forms and in the absence of a vaccine or cure for the virus, compliance with IPC measures remains one of the most effective interventions to control the ongoing outbreak.

The NCDC has made efforts to rapidly strengthen the capacity of frontline healthcare workers in infection prevention and control wherever health care is provided. Since the first case in Nigeria was confirmed in February, NCDC has supported the training of about 17,436 health workers in IPC and works in collaboration with the Departments of Hospital Services and Food and Drugs of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), to ensure that health workers are provided with the required personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of health workers’ infection.

To ensure that IPC training, knowledge and information is easily accessible to everybody that needs it, the Infection Prevention and Control Unit of the NCDC, with technical assistance from eHealth Africa, has developed a COVID-19 IPC online course. The course features modules on standard and transmission-based precautions, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential aspects of infection control in healthcare. A certificate of participation will also be awarded at the end of the course by NCDC.

The online course is also designed to document vital information to monitor IPC compliance across health facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, both in public, private and faith-based facilities in Nigeria. Infection prevention and control measures cuts across all other components of the COVID-19 response in Nigeria and is critical for strengthening national health security.

Please note that registration for the free online course on infection prevention and control can be done using the link here- https://elearning.ncdc.gov.ng/courses/infection-prevention-and-control-for-covid-19/.

The NCDC is Nigeria’s public health institution, which has the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection, and response to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari. The mission for the NCDC (2017-2021) is ‘To protect the health of Nigerians through evidence-based prevention, integrated disease surveillance and response activities, using a one health approach, guided by research and led by a skilled workforce.’