Information about the LAKANA COVID-19 public health interventions and surveillance activities →

COVID-19 interventions and surveillance

All countries are urged by WHO to increase their level of preparedness, alert and response in order to identify, manage and care for new cases of COVID-19. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, the LAKANA COVID-19 public health interventions and surveillance protocols can provide real-time information on the ground about what works in the Malian context.

Public health interventions

The public health aims of the study focus on four key areas: making health facilities safer and more effective, improving virologic and serological testing capability, reducing transmission in the community, and enhancing surveillance. Specific public health aims are to:

  1. Support and enhance the national response in Mali to prevent COVID-19 spread at health facilities, making health facilities safe for patients and staff:
    • Support health facilities’ capacities for identification and diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 cases.
    • Support health facilities’ capacities for identification and diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 cases.
  2. Support the national capacity for virologic and serological SARS-CoV-2 testing.
  3. Support and enhance the national response in Mali to prevent COVID-19 spread epidemic in the community.
  4. Support the regional and national surveillance efforts for the COVID-19 epidemic in Mali.

We are implementing the following public health interventions at the 12 public health facilities:

  1. Prevention of COVID-19 spread at health facilities (making health facilities safe for patients and staff):
    • Establishment of hand-washing facilities.
    • Provision of hand-sanitizers and soap.
    • Provision of PPE.
    • Cohorting of patients.
    • eHealth education about effective preventive practices.
  2. Case identification and diagnostics:
    • Information campaigns about symptoms to health care workers.
    • Education on the use WHO diagnostic algorithm at health facilities.
    • Provision of pulse oximeters and digital thermometers to health facilities, education on the use for diagnostics.
    • Establishment and support to virologic testing for patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  3. Case management:
    • Education on the use of the WHO management algorithm at health facilities.
    • Provision of supplementary oxygen during patient transport and hospitalization.
  4. Prevention of COVID-19 spread in the community:
    • Health education about effective preventive practices.
    • Quarantine/isolation for individuals with suspected or confirmed infection.
    • Quarantine/isolation for exposed individuals.
    • Contact tracing.
© 2020 Dominique Catton.

COVID-19 surveillance

There are four surveillance-based research aims which are analyzed descriptively. The first two aims address impact on the health system. The third aim addresses impact on patients and the final aim addresses the population prevalence of the virus. Specific research questions are:

  1. What is the impact of the epidemic on health service delivery in rural Malian health facilities?
  2. What is the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among health care workers?
  3. What are the characteristics of suspected, probable and confirmed Covid-19 patients presenting at health care facilities?
  4. What is the prevalence and risk factors of COVID-19 infection and seroprevalence and risk factors of SARS-Cov-2 antibodies in five age strata of the rural and semi-urban population (under 5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 60, and over 60)?

The results are distributed and discussed in real time with the local community, Malian health researchers, regional and national level representatives of the Ministry of Health in Mali and the World Health Organization. The first publication about SARS-CoV-2 infection and antibody seroprevalence in Kita region, Mali, has been published. You can review it here: publications.

Home