On 26th May 2022, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) team paid an advocacy visit to the leadership of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA)to introduce the project titled “Building a Resilient Infection Prevention and Control Program in Nigeria through comprehensive Multi-level interventions (BRIM)”. The BRIM project, the phase III of the Health Care Capacity Building Programme, is supported through funding from Resolve to Save Lives. The AFENET team led by Dr. Patrick Nguku briefed the ED/CEO NPHCDA Dr Faisal Shuaib and his team including 7 Directors, Technical Advisors and Programme Officers about the project. He thanked the NPHCDA team for the collaboration and support in Phase 1 and 2 of the project.
Phase I of the project focused on capacity building and over 5,000 Primary Health Care Workers (HCWs) were trained on COVID-19 preparedness and response including infection prevention and control (IPC), coupled with post-training monitoring at Primary health care facilities (PHCs). Phase II of the project focused on a longitudinal model of training, mentorship, facility monitoring coupled with use of data for performance management and small facility upgrades in over 420 PHCs across six states. These interventions resulted in remarkable improvement in IPC practices in supported facilities.
The phase III of the project aims to strengthen HCW safety and improve the health system’s IPC capacity for preparedness and response against future waves of COVID-19 and other public health emergencies.
The ED/CEO NPHCDA commended the AFENET team and expressed the Agency’s readiness for continued support towards achieving the project objectives.