The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ghana Health Service launched the COVID-19 Critical Case Management Training at the Ghana Infectious Disease Center (GIDC) in Ga East, Greater Accra on January 25, 2021.
The U.S. government-funded training comes at a critical time given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Ghana. Select clinicians from each of the 16 regions will receive a four-week intensive, hands-on training on the proper management of COVID-19 severe and critical cases.
USAID/Ghana’s Acting Health Office Director, Dr. Stephen Dzisi, joined Ghana Health Service representatives at the opening ceremony. During the event, Dr. Dzisi reiterated the U.S. government’s unwavering commitment to support Ghana’s COVID-19 response, “We are proud of our strong partnership with the Government of Ghana to improve the health and well-being of all Ghanaians through a resilient healthcare system. An infectious disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere; it is vital that we continue to join forces to fight this pandemic.”
The training will impart skills such as oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, and the management of COVID-19 related complications. Clinicians will actively contribute to the management of cases at GIDC and gain essential skills to support their respective region’s COVID-19 response. Clinicians will receive an Intensive Care Unit “starter kit,” an essential package of supplies to support their work.
The United States continues to lead the global COVID-19 pandemic response. These efforts are made possible through the American people’s generosity. In Ghana, the United States has provided $19 million in response to the pandemic, which is helping to mitigate the immediate and medium-term effects of COVID-19 on health and basic education systems, the hard-hit private sector, and northern Ghana in particular.
In the health sector, support includes clinical care and laboratory capacity-building of health staff and disseminating public messages to increase knowledge and awareness around COVID-19 and to address misinformation. USAID also supports the Government of Ghana to deliver life-saving supplies and commodities across the country, including personal protective equipment and essential supplies such as hand sanitizers, chlorine, and Veronica buckets.
