The reemergence of Ebola and the continuous presence of COVID and Monkey Pox were highlighted by health officials during the recent International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) ceremony that was held at the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital.
Some of the speakers at the ceremony which was held on 18th October 2022 were Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronald Georges, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. June Samuel, and Infection Control Manager Ms. Rosa Ravariere – Seaman.
A constant theme at the ceremony was the fact that infection prevention and control is always a requirement in health care. In this regard, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic were lamented; and concerns for future outbreaks also noted.
In addressing these possible outbreaks CMO Dr. Georges stated, “Looking forward to the future, we have to build on the foundations of the past. We have to understand the new challenges of reemerging and emerging infections. We have to also understand how we as healthcare professionals can introspect in ourselves and influence our behaviors and those around us.”
In her remarks, the BVIHSA CEO Dr. Samuel noted that not only are there infection control concerns about diseases currently abroad, such as Ebola and Monkey Pox; but also local emergent diseases such as Hand-foot-and-mouth, as well as respiratory tract illnesses in children.
Dr. Samuel stated, “I would dare to say that we as a community have fallen off, because recently we had an outbreak of Hand Foot & Mouth disease in our daycares, …and now we are seeing in the ER; children coming through with respiratory tract illnesses. We are not doing the things that we should do…We need to do the things we should do to keep ourselves safe.”
Meanwhile, Infection Prevention Manager Ms. Ravariere-Seaman admonished all to be vigilant about infectious diseases. She warned that Ebola was coming back. She said: “There’s no way we can go back to the way we used to live. Imagine Covid-19 is still very present and here comes Monkey Pox. Ebola is also raising its head again, there’s a current outbreak as we speak in Uganda. But again, because of science and the headway that has been made there are six candidate vaccines in the works right now, for this new strain of Ebola.”
“Understandably, the rapid rise and spread of Ebola across five districts in Uganda have alarmed scientists and raised fears that the outbreak may not be easy to contain. With the advent of world travel, all it takes is one case, one person to leave Uganda and God forbid; we may be facing something similar to COVID,” she added.
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) is organized annually by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). This year marked an important milestone: 50 years of APIC!
The recent observance was held from October 16-22, under the theme: “The Future is Infection Prevention: 50 Years of Infection Prevention”. The Week of activities highlighted decades of infection prevention, while inspiring the next generation of Infection Preventionists.