In Kenya, COHR Director Dr. Peter Rabinowitz is leading a cooperative agreement with CDC and UW-ITECH on an implementation science project to improve global health security.
Aspects of this project involve strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in model hospitals, designing a mobile device-based immunization registry and improving surveillance systems for emerging infectious diseases.
In the model hospitals, we are using a quality improvement approach to enhance IPC components, including hand hygiene, waste management, injection safety, surveillance for hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial stewardship.
This involves a mentorship process in collaboration with Kenya Ministry of Health for IPC committees at the model hospitals and reinforcement of quality improvement efforts through interactive video training sessions.
Lessons learned about IPC quality improvements can be used to implement IPC programs in other health facilities in Kenya and other resource-limited countries. The ongoing IPC capacity-building efforts are supplemented by the development of distance learning programs for IPC through the UW Global Health eLearning program.
In addition to IPC, Rabinowitz is leading I-TECH efforts to develop a mobile vaccine registry and implement it in Kenyan health facilities. This work recently was recognized with a Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations grant.
Other components of this global health security project include training Kenya disease surveillance professionals on rapid disease reporting and improving laboratory information systems for better detection and reporting of infectious disease outbreaks and cases, including antimicrobial resistance.