Project Overview
ICAN has built a network of National IPC Societies in Africa. Currently 12 countries are members and there are three additional countries in the process of joining. The vision for this project is to establish new ECHO hubs in each of these 15 countries. As new countries join the network, they will also become new ECHO hubs.
The purpose of this network is to take a lead role in managing IPC for COVID 19, and continuity of care during the time of COVID, for all other infectious diseases in each of the member countries. It is vital that this project strengthen the capabilities and capacities of the IPC Societies in each member country, and that this work is sustainable and will continue beyond the current pandemic. If we can move quickly, the IPC Society could take a lead role in vaccination preparedness.
ICAN will be the coordinating hub that will integrate and harmonize the work of all IPC society members. By working collaboratively under ICAN’s guidance, individual members countries will realize great efficiencies through the development of common curricula & teaching tools, common pool of experts, common data collection, evaluation and reporting methods, shared best practices for IPC and ECHO, and the collaborative pursuit of Global Health Security grants and other short term and long-term financial support.
Progress Report
In November 2022, One hub was onboarded on iECHO on the 3rd November 2022 i.e., Infection Control Association of Zimbabwe (ICAZ). Currently, there are 7 hubs on iECHO. ICAN has also done iECHO on-baording and are currently running the ACDC webinars as part of their ICAN ECGI HUB sessions, new curriculum will be shared before end of Dec 2023.
In addition, on 18th November 2022, Hub was launch for Infection Control Association of DRC.
Launched ICAN IPC ECHO Hubs
- Infection Prevention and Control Association of Cameroon (IPCA) launched in March 2021 and is running bi-weekly sessions. iECHO onboarding was done on 21st September 2022. The last session was held on 3rd December 2022 with 18 spokes through iECHO. The next session is on 17th Conducted 24 sessions till date. Doing well.
- Nigerian Society for Infection Control (NSIC) launched on 29th April 2021 and is running bi-weekly sessions. They have now moved to every 3rd Thursday of the month. Hub has been onboarded on iECHO on 30th September 2022. Nigeria is doing well and had 17 sessions till date. The last session was conducted on 10th November with 39 spokes and the next session is scheduled for 8th December 2022. Last Bi-weekly meeting held on 22nd Doing well. They are planning to work with WARE- ECHO and launch a META ECHO in Western Africa
- Infection Control Association of Zimbabwe (ICAZ). launched on 17th May 2021. The last session of the curriculum was held on 21st July 2022 with 35 spokes count. A total of 39 sessions (Program 1 and 2) have been conducted till date. iECHO orientation and onboarding completed on 3rd November 2022. Concept note received from the hub team and will launch a new program on 12th January 2023 tentatively.
- Infection Control Association of Ethiopia launch on 16th Sept 2021. They have monthly sessions and have conducted 13 sessions till date. No session was conducted in November 2022. iECHO orientation and onboarding completed on 31st October 2022. Spoke onboarding on iECHO was completed on 29th November 2022. Next session is planned on 8th December 2022. Doing well. They EEHPA and ECIPC are two separate societies and was wondering if we can maybe do agreement with both, as EEHPA are more on Enviornmetal issues and not much on IPC?
- Infection Prevention NET of Kenya. launched on 17th September 2021, AMR and IPC session, running monthly sessions. A total of 20 sessions have been conducted till date. A session under IPC program held on 10th November 2022 and a session under AMR program held on 24th November 2022. Next session is scheduled for 8th December 2022 under IPC program and next session is scheduled under AMR program on 22nd December 2022 tentatively. Response from the hub team is awaited regarding iECHO onboarding.
- Malawi Infection Prevention and Control /WASH Society launched on 11th February 2022. They had bi-weekly sessions till April 2022. To access the data dashboard for the previous sessions held, please click here. Hub onboarded on iECHO on 29th August 2022. Sessions were resumed from September 2022 and a total of 11 sessions has been conducted since February 2022. There were 2 sessions held in November and the last session held on 25th November 2022 with 19 participants and the next session is scheduled for 16th December 2022. Doing well.
- Infection Control Association of South Africa. Launched on 18th August 2022 using the new iECHO platform. They will be conducting monthly sessions till November 2022. A total of 4 sessions were held. The last session for 2022 held on 17th November 2022 with 24 participants on the topic ‘Hand Hygiene’. The hub team has shared the new curriculum for 2023 with 6 sessions planned from February to July 2023.
- Infection Control Association of DRC –Orientation and iECHO onboarding completed on 31st October 2022. Hub launch was conducted on 18th November 2022 on iECHO. Curriculum is yet awaited from the hub team. Email ids of spokes are not available hence the tech team is trying to check if they can send SMS or WhatsApp messages to a preferred list of countries. Konan to share the list of countries on which we need to activate the services. The last meeting was conducted on 22nd November 2022.