Authors: Mathias Tumwebaze, Lillian Ajuna, Aggrey Gwaita, John Jubilee, Andrew Ahimbisibwe, Abdullah Ali Halage
Introduction: The Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV2 virus was first identified and reported in 2019 by the people’s Republic of China in Wuhan and declared a pandemic disease in march 2020. Since then, the disease has continued to spread to the rest of the communities in the world and Kabarole district in Uganda has not been spared. The need to promote effective COVID-19 Response Interventions through a capacity-building project of health workforce in Kabarole and Uganda in general was ostensible. The effective COVID-19 interventions strengthened among Virika Hospital Health workforce were, enhanced risk communication by health workers and Community engagements through Social mobilisation. In this paper, we share how a capacity building project for health workforce at Virika Hospital, Kabarole district Uganda, contributed to the reduction of community COVID-19 transmission and death as a result of increased levels of awareness of the risk by Health workers and community.
Methods: This was a hospital-based project initiated by the Hospital nursing officer and the administration soliciting technical support from Kabarole District Surveillance Health office. It targeted hospital technical and support staff. At community, the Village Health Team and Village chairpersons were targeted and drawn from 5 randomly selected parishes. Risk communication practice was done using five FM Radio stations and King TV station in Fort Portal City.
Results: A health workforce capacity of 60 staff was built, 92% technical and 8% support staff. Skills in Risk communication were acquired by the health workforce through Radio presentations that followed 3 workshop sessions at the hospital. Sessions on infection prevention and control were dominated by demonstrations and return demonstrations on hand hygiene and use of PPEs in COVID-19 prevention. Through dialogue meetings with the VHTs and community leaders, the community was empowered on early detection and reporting of COVID-19 Alert simulations. Despite the enhanced health workforce capacity however, inadequate PPEs was noted as a limiting factor amidst good workforce risk response competencies built.
Conclusion: The enhanced health workforce capacity with effective Response interventions like risk communication, Infection Prevention and Control and community engagement, contributed to reduction in community Covid-19 transmission In Kabarole District. This could ensure a long term and sustained response capacity to any other emerging infections in the district.
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