Strengthening the Infection Prevention and Control Capacity of Frontline Workers in the COVID-19 Response: E-Learning and Other Capacity Building Approaches

Session Date: April 22, 2021

Session Description: This session describes MTaPS’ experience implementing IPC interventions against COVID-19 in the midst of learning about the novel virus. IPC is a practical, evidence-based approach which prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infection and averts antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The panel will illustrate how MTaPS quickly applied capacity building approaches, including: ● Blended learning programs (combines online learning and traditional place-based instruction) where participants learn asynchronously/independently and have lessons reinforced in practical settings, limiting the risk of COVID-19 transmission ● Social and behavior change approaches, such as social cognitive theory, to nudge healthcare workers towards greater COVID-19 IPC compliance Between March and December 2020, 40,357 people in 3,100 health facilities across 13 countries were capacitated in COVID-19-related IPC. The session will highlight in particular the experience with three approaches: (1) blended training-of-trainers in Mali; (2) multisectoral capacity building using multifaceted approaches in Jordan; and (3) cascaded mentoring in Uganda. These examples demonstrate how these countries were able to rapidly establish IPC committees and sustainably strengthen IPC practices through MTaPS’ multifaceted capacity building interventions. The panelists will home in on best practices for deploying capacity building approaches in an emergency response.