According to a report from the office of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Port-au-Prince, PAHO has trained more than 2,800 health personnel in Haiti, including 2,700 Polyvalent Community Health Workers (ASCP) and 162 nurses. community health workers and nursing assistants, as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to this report, trained community health workers were equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and communication support such as megaphones and batteries. 221 megaphones, gloves, face masks and hand sanitizers were also distributed.

Training and equipment are part of PAHO's broad response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Haiti, which focuses on surveillance, improved laboratories, case management and risk communication in order to engage communities and provide information about the disease.

Haiti has 50 survey teams and 299 contact tracing teams in operation across the country, with call centers and data analysis teams active in each department.

In February, the National Laboratory of Haiti received training and equipment from PAHO to set up the diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19), with kits to collect samples and reagents for 9,000 PCR tests. This capacity is being extended to 8 regional laboratories in Haiti; 5 of them can now test for the virus themselves through the Gen-Xpert platform, decentralizing testing and ensuring faster turnaround time, according to the report.

PAHO, in coordination with the Intertional Migration Organization (IOM), also assisted local authorities in setting up border surveillance, ensuring the detection and tracing of symptomatic suspected cases and quarantine facilities for cases. suspects at entry points on the border with the Dominican Republic, train their staff and provide medical supplies and protective equipment.

To manage the safe care of people with Covid-19, PAHO has provided infection prevention and control training to staff (medical and support staff) at Covid and non-Covid health centers, and on oxygen therapy to medical staff. To date, 1,830 health workers have been trained in infection prevention and control measures, including the proper use of PPE, and 642 medical staff have been trained in the provision of oxygen therapy.

To ensure continuity of care in hospitals and non-Covid health centers, PAHO provided support for the establishment of early detection measures (triage and an isolation space for patients awaiting transfer to a Covid Center) to 143 institutions, and provided equipment, including thermometers, oximeters, oxygen concentrators and PPE.

PAHO also supported training of the National Ambulance Center and private ambulance companies on the safe transport of suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19, which included the provision of protective equipment.

HL/ HaitiLibre