SADC conducts ebola virus disease training for key personnel in member states

22 September 2014

The SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Republic of South Africa in her capacity as the regional centre of excellence in Ebola laboratory diagnosis will conduct training on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) preparedness activities and development of country preparedness plans for key personnel in areas such as   Laboratory, Port Health, and public health surveillance in SADC Member States.

The training will be held from September 22-23, 2014 at the National Institute for Communicable diseases (NICD), Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF) training Centre in Sandringham, Edenvale  - Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.

The main purpose of the training is to provide participants from the SADC Member States with the necessary skills to appropriately and safely respond to a suspected, probable or confirmed patient with EVD in their countries. To this end, the specific objectives of the training will enable participants to be able to:

1.    Describe what EVD is, how it is spread and how to prevent transmission
2.    Know how to safely and appropriately put on and take off personal protective equipment
3.    Based on job category, know the steps to safely and effectively receive or send an appropriate specimen for testing to the designated laboratory.
4.    Based on job category, know the steps to safely send a patient with suspected or confirmed EVD to the appropriately designated facility.
5.    Develop/refine and share their country preparedness plan for a possible case of EVD.
6.    Apply their country’s IDSR system for possible detection of EVD
7.    Be able to assess the adequacy of their countries Emergency Preparedness and Response plan and recommend the necessary adjustments

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