World Humanitarian Day - No one should get sick seeking care: the critical role of infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 outbreak

Preventing health care associated infections has never been as important as it is now with the COVID-19 global pandemic. The highly infectious disease impacted everyone, everywhere in the world - in and outside health facilities - and established a new normal that includes wearing masks, carrying a hand sanitizer and keeping physical distance.

Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh, is hosting nearly one million Rohingya living in crowded refugee camps where these life-saving actions can hardly be the norm. WHO humanitarian worker, Rebecca Rachel Apolot, is using her vast outbreak experience to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the health facilities serving the world’s largest refugee camp. Her dedication has been pivotal to WHO’s emergency response during these unprecedented times.

“I was in Sierra Leone when the country recorded its first Ebola case, back in 2014. I was part of the rapid response team working together with the community to control the outbreak and enhance vigilance in Bombali District, the country’s most affected area. That was a unique opportunity to build a strong and resilient public health system ready to detect and respond to the next outbreak or any other public health threat”, tells Rebecca, WHO Infection Prevention and Control Specialist.

WHO specialist in Infection Prevention and Control, Rebecca Rachel Apolot has a vast experience in responding to outbreaks - WHO/ Tatiana Almeida

“I joined WHO Cox’s Bazar Emergency team to prepare for - and respond to - a possible cholera outbreak as part of the organization’s readiness efforts. Little did we know that we would be responding to COVID-19, the biggest epidemic of our times yet”, says Rebecca.

Several countries have demonstrated that COVID-19 transmission from one person to another can be controlled by emergency response systems, increased capacity to detect and care for patients, ensure that hospitals have the necessary staff, supplies and structure, and to implement life-saving medical interventions.

As an infection prevention and control specialist, Rebecca’s role is to ensure that no one will get sick while seeking care.

“Preventing harm to patients, health workers and visitors due to infection in health care facilities is fundamental to achieve quality care, patient safety, health security and to reduce health care-associated infections”, she explains.

Rebecca is training healthcare workers the steps required to putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) - WHO/ Tatiana Almeida

To enhance preparedness for COVID-19 in Cox’s Bazar, WHO has been training healthcare workers on Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) ITC partners and Government facilities. To date, 745 government workers and 1320 humanitarian health care workers have been trained.

Senior Nurse Sonia Dewanjee, got sick after caring for 40 COVID-19 patients - WHO/ Tatiana Almeida

“I got infected with COVID-19 in June, after caring for 40 patients. Everyone is at risk but healthcare workers are particularly exposed to the infection. This training allowed me to better understand how to protect myself and other patients from COVID-19”, recalls Nurse Sonia Dewanjee during a WHO training on infection prevention and control and clinical case management in Moheshakali, Cox’s Bazar.

Clean and safe care is a patient’s right and also a duty of pride to the many health workers trained by WHO in Cox’s Bazar. IPC is a practical, evidence-based approach which prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infections.

Rebecca Rachel Apolot talking with a COVID-19 suspect case during a supportive supervision visit at a health facility in Cox’s Bazar - WHO/ Tatiana Almeida

Protecting the lives and well-being of Rohingya refugees, host communities and healthcare workers is Rebecca’s noble mission as one of the many humanitarians working in Cox’s Bazar. But along the way, and due to the travel ban imposed by some countries, she hasn’t been able to see her family for quite some time.

“I miss my son. I left Uganda in January when he was only 13 months now he is 20 months. Bedtime stories are not easy to read on WhatsApp when you are 1000 miles away, let alone all the love and protection that only mothers can provide”, says Rebecca.

On World Humanitarian Day, we celebrate Rebecca and all the humanitarians around the world who have committed their lives to helping others and who, together with their families, have been specially impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. They are Real Life Heroes.

Keeping distance near a COVID-19 red zone, WHO IPC specialist Rebecca is giving recommendations to a medical officer in a health facility where a patient has just been admitted - WHO/ Tatiana Almeida