Introducing new concepts and consistently implementing them is a difficult task in the hectic working environment of healthcare facilities. This is even more difficult in teaching institutions where the workforce shifts regularly. The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) project that The Ohio State University Global One Health initiative (GOHi) is implementing in Ethiopia has tackled these challenges since its launch in February 2022.
This project emphasizes defining the role of healthcare workers in circumventing the immediate and long-term impact of AMR. It also provides capacity-building sessions tailored to gaps identified during the clinical practice of healthcare workers trained in infection prevention and control (IPC). During these sessions, healthcare workers are encouraged to understand the scientific basis of IPC, pay attention to their common IPC errors and realize their impact on their patients' outcomes.
Apart from the routine sessions, GOHi organized four training sessions in July 2024 focused on the basics of IPC for 70 healthcare workers from four target prevention units of Tikur Anbessa Hospital and Zewditu Memorial Hospital. In each session, staff were encouraged to reflect on their IPC practices, promoting self- and peer learning while fostering behavioral change. All these efforts result in behavioral and attitudinal changes, curb the effects of habitual inertia and narrow the Know-Do gaps of healthcare workers.