The Sierra Leone National Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines were jointly developed and updated by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After Workplace exposures and Sexual Assault
| DIRECTORATE: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES
| DIVISION: PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
| SUB-DIVISION: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a significant burden globally, with millions of patients affected each year. These infections affect both high- and limited-resource healthcare settings, but in limited-resource settings, rates are approximately twice as high as high-resource settings (15 o...ut of every 100 patients versus 7 out of every 100 patients). Furthermore, rates of infections within certain patient populations are significantly higher in limited-resource settings, including surgical patients, patients in intensive-care units (ICU) and neonatal units. It is well documented that environmental contamination plays a role in the transmission of HAIs in healthcare settings. Therefore, environmental cleaning is a fundamental intervention for infection prevention and control (IPC).It is a multifaceted intervention that involves cleaning and disinfection (when indicated) of the environment alongside other key program elements to support successful implementation (e.g., leadership support, training, monitoring, and feedback mechanisms). To be effective, environmental cleaning activities must be implemented within the framework of the facility IPC program, and not as a standalone intervention. It is also essential that IPC programs advocate for and work with facility administration and government officials to budget, operate and maintain adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to ensure that environmental cleaning can be performed according to best practices.
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BMJ 2020;368:m800 doi: 10.1136/bmj.m800 (Published 5 March 2020)
Interim Guidance 18th March 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on health care systems that, in many instances, worsened the already existing assistance gaps. When it comes to Latin America and Central America, this challenge adds to the consequences mass mobilizations have had in recent years, which have exc...eeded the national capacities to provide prompt assistance and social protection, particularly in the health care field. This pandemic has a direct impact on people on the move since the movement restriction policies and the lockdown and social distancing measures have reduced their ability to insert themselves into economic activities that were already precarious in many cases. Consequently, they have less access to food, housing, medicines and other essential consumer goods, and fewer possibilities of getting to their countries of destinati
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This guidance provides considerations and a series of options that can be used to inform country strategies in managing any shortages of personal protective equipment.Re-use and reprocessing of single-use PPE must be a last resort temporary measure to be adopted until stocks are replenished. The WH...O and other agencies are currently conducting research about this and further guidance will likely become available soon.
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In the strategies for effective infection prevention and control (IPC), what does triage entail at hospitals?
Triage includes screening at the entrance, identification of cases and isolation if necessary. There should be a triage (screening) area where visitors to the hospital are interviewed using... standard questionnaires to identify symptoms, along with temperature checks and documentation of contacts. Individuals who meet the case definition for COVID-19 should be isolated immediately while arrangement is being made for swab (sample) collection from the patient. (See the WHO guidance on triage).
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15 January 2021
This Aide Memoire is for policy makers, immunization programme managers, infection prevention and control (IPC) focal points at national, sub-national, and facility level, as well as for health workers involved in COVID-19 vaccination delivery. This document summarizes the key IPC p...rinciples to consider and the precautions to take for safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines. The principles and recommendations provided in this document derive from World Health Organization (WHO) IPC and immunization standards and other guidance in the context of COVID-19. WHO will update these recommendations as new information becomes available. All technical guidance for COVID-19 is available online.
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Poor sanitary conditions in disaster-stricken areas result in higher risk for diarrheal illness in vulnerable populations, especially children. This disease negatively impacts the nutritional status of affected children and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Early di...agnosis and treatment are thus essential to reduce the impact of diarrheal diseases on people affected by disasters. Early identification of cases allows the implementation of measures needed to prevent or lessen outbreaks that can occur in displaced populations in this context. The use of primary care management tools, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy is highly important.This module will first discuss diarrheal diseases and their management, and dehydration and its treatments.
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Accessed 21 July 2021:The Caregiver Booklet is designed to help patients,family members, and community caregivers in the home-based care of serious long term illness. Home care is best for many people with long term illnesses,including those who are close to the end of life. All patients bein...g cared for at home should be first assessed and treated by a health worker, who will help caregivers provide high quality home care and ensure that medicines are taken correctly.
This booklet explains how to:
1. Deal with specific symptoms.
2. Provide care for terminal and bedridden patients at home.
3. Decide when to seek help from a health facility.
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This SOP describes specific step by step procedures in clinical management like OPD, IPD Housekeeping, Emergency services, OT services, Radiology Services & Pathology services. It should be used as a hands-on reference for service providers providing services, thereby helping to standardize the prac...tice in all hospitals, with the ultimate goal of optimizing the quality & standard patient care. The manual may also be used as a reference for health service providers for effective health management.
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To help trainers to create awareness,attitude and skills in waste handlers in day to day management of medical waste in health care settings.
The National Guideline for Neonatal Care and Establishment of Neonatal Care Unit aims to provide health workers with all basics and necessary knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care at the most vulnerable period in a newborn’s life. This guideline will be available to all health facilitie...s as a reference book for health workers. The book contains up-to-date evidence-based information and management of newborns with a range of needs in the initial newborn period
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24 Nov. 2021; This guidance provides considerations and a series of options that can be used to inform country strategies to minimise risk associated with shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Re-use and reprocessing of single use PPE must be a last-resort temporary measure that is impl...emented only until stocks are replenished (2).This remains an area of active research and further updates to this evidence base are anticipated.
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