COVID-19
ALERT Niger
The COVID-19 pandemic began in Niger on March 19, 2020, with the detection of the 1st case in Niamey. In view of the evolution of the global situation, and well before the notification of the first case of infection in Niger, the Government developed a multisectoral response in the form of a "Global Pandemic Response Plan for the COVID-19 Pandemic". Epicentre, developed a national COVID-19 surveillance and alert program, coordinated by the Ministry Of Health (MOH), which, in addition to monitoring COVID-19, will also strengthen the monitoring of other diseases with epidemic potential in the country. During the peak of the epidemic, the national alert cell handled several thousand calls per day, 5% of which required investigation. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Epicentre and the Ministry of Health teams have carried out several thousand interventions in the country. As the system used to monitor COVID-19 cases has proved its worth in an emergency context, the Ministry of Public Health, would like to capitalize on this success to generalize the use of this tool to the main diseases with epidemic potential in the country, such as Cholera, Malaria, Meningitis and Measles.
Objective
Support the Ministry of Public Health in its management of COVID-19 and diseases with epidemic potential in Niger.
Methodology
- Development & implementation of the surveillance system,
- Support to the MOH,
- Extension of the system to other diseases with epidemic potential.
Who's Involved Besides MSF?
La Fondation MSF, Medic Mobile, MSP (Ministry of Public Health in Niger)
Country
Niger
Status
Finished
End date
June 2022
Our Role
Design & Operational Support
For more information, contact
Retrospective seroprevalence and mortality study
In order to assess the intensity of the virus circulation, Epicentre has launched several seroprevalence studies, sometimes accompanied by retrospective mortality surveys among different populations - health personnel, precarious people, refugee camps, general population - Data collection is ongoing in several sites.
The objective of these studies is to estimate:
- the true COVID-19 spread ;
- COVID-19-specific and overall mortality rate.
More specifically among health care workers the evaluation of the seroprevalence will allow
- for prompt identification of infected staff leading to Rapid isolation and early case management,
- For Identification of where transmission is occurring,
- to guide the reinforcement of IPC measures,
- to estimate proportion of staff that have been exposed,
- to use as a sentinel,
- for predictive values of COVID-test.
These studies should facilitate MSF’s operations adjustment, inform Public health response locally and regionally, improve understanding of transmission/ prevention, increase knowledge on COVID-test clinical performance.
Country
Republic Democratic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Yemen, Kenya, Cameroon, Sudan, Niger, France
Tentative End date
December 2022
Our Role
Study leaders
Who's Involved
OCBA, OCG, OCP, WACA
