ICAP at Columbia University in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation on Thursday, 6th April, launched the 2023-2027 Sierra Leone National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Strategic Plan at the Bintumani Conference Hall in Freetown. The 2023-2027 Sierra Leone National Infection Prevention and Control Strategic Plan stated with dissemination meeting followed by the official launched in the presence of partners.
Giving an overview of the 2023-2027 National IPC Strategic Plan, Matron Christiana Kallon, National IPC Coordinator, IPC Country Lead (NIPCU) Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) described the document as a road map for the implementation of IPC programs for the next five years in the country and it will be used by all partners.
She said the ministry is very proud of the IPC program in the country as they are assiduously working to reach the universal health coverage come 2030.
She encouraged nurses to prevent wastage and damage as the program is for all of them.
Matron Kallon emphasized that IPC is a way of life for all of them as without IPC their life can be shorten.
“IPC embraces everything, IPC matters not only now but forever,” Matron Christiana Kallon said.
CDC Country Director, Dr Daphne Moffett, said they are doing it to help many diseases and to help prevent future health threat in the country.
“IPC is critical for a well-functioning health system. We must have compressive work plan like what we have now,” she said.
She said the development of the plan is important but the hard part is the implementation of the plan.
Representing the Chief Medical Officer, MoHS, Dr. Matthew Vandy, said if they don’t take IPC seriously, it can cause mobility, mortality and can also lead to ill validity which is said will not good for the development of Sierra Leone.
“Investing in IPC will save us a lot and it will reduce death rate among others in the country. It is very much important for all of us to be involved,” he said.
Country Director, ICAP Dr Maime Toure said Sierra Leone as a country has made tremendous improvement in her IPC program from 2017 to date.
She spoke about the training of IPC staff and certificate course they gone through.
Pointed out that the recent infection outbreak in Sierra Leone, (Covid-19 and Ebola) disproportionately affect health care workers.
The IPC program is a nurse-led program in Sierra Leone.
Launching the 2023-2027 Sierra Leone National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Strategic Plan, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Mary Fullah, emphasizes that IPC is the backbone of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and that they are ready to promote and sustain it.
She however went on to say they will stretch out to their partners for continuous support of the program and also expressed hope that IPC will be useful to all health workers in the Country.
Technical Assistance on IPC implementation at 160 Primary Health facilities was presented by Amon Njenga, IPC Technical Lead – ICAP at Columbia University.
