COVID19 Capacity Building in SSA - Resolve to Save Lives

Miriam Rabkin, Assistant Professor in the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and at Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Epidemiology and Medicine

ICAP at Columbia University (ICAP) proposes to build on its robust knowledge of health systems and human resources for health (HRH) in SSA, its multiple existing country offices, teams and partnerships, and its ability to launch swift, creative, and effective HRH training programs to build the competence and confidence of frontline HCW to safely identify, report and support people with COVID-19, implement effective infection prevention and control (IPC) activities, and serve as a trusted source of reliable information for communities impacted by the pandemic. ICAP will design and implement an innovative, high-impact training initiative targeting district health management teams and frontline health care workers (HCW) in up to 56 districts across 13 countries in SSA, reaching an estimated 5,600 HCW by September 2020