Prevention

AMR surveillance

The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens that have acquired resistance to existing antimicrobial agents is a threat to human health and modern medicine and a risk to animal health and food production. Baylor Foundation Uganda supports the Ministry of Health to prevent and control the spread of AMR through strengthening AMR surveillance and ensuring the appropriate use of antimicrobials. This support is delivered through the provision of technical assistance to MOH in the AMR technical working groups, and building the capacity of hospitals to conduct AMR surveillance and implement antibiotic stewardship activities.

Achievements

• Built the capacity of two regional labs to conduct bacterial culture and susceptibility testing.
• Conducted AMR diagnostic network capacity assessments at 12 hospitals and developed and implementation of site-specific quality improvement (QI)
• Standardized AMR detection and reporting procedures and practices by adapting and disseminating technical AMR laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) and tools at two regional referral hospitals labs (hub) and 10 general hospitals (spokes).
• Provided buffer Microbiology/AMR reagents to avert stockout and critical equipment (incubators).
• Established Medicines and Therapeutics Committees (MTCs) and developed site-specific QCI plans at 10 hospitals. Operationalized QCI learning collaborative between the 10 hospitals to promote sharing of knowledge and best practice

COVID-19 Vaccination

The Ministry of Health (MoH) started to roll out COVID-19 vaccination in May 2021. Since then, Baylor Foundation Uganda has supported the Ministry of Health (MoH) through the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI) to implement routine/targeted COVID-19 vaccination and Accelerated Mass Vaccination Campaigns (AMVC) at the national and subnational level (17 districts and two cities in Bunyoro and Rwenzori regions). Our support includes capacity building for healthcare workers (HCWs) and community mobilizers, microplanning and coordination, supportive supervision and mentorship, vaccine supply chain management, data management, Advocacy, risk communication and community engagement. As of August 2022, 88% (2,625,739) and 61% (1,816,732) of the target population people from Rwenzori and Hoima regions had received the first dose and were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 respectively.

Achievements

• Micro-planning: Supported 17 districts and two cities in Bunyoro and Rwenzori regions to develop, implement and monitor COVID-19 vaccination micro-plans for 3 AMVCs; supported coordination of the campaigns.
• Capacity building: Trained 7296 vaccinators (HCWs) and 18,573 mobilizers in Bunyoro and Rwenzori.
• Advocacy, Risk Communication and Community Engagement: Supported the MoH to develop communication messages and materials; printed and distributed over 700, 000 COVID-19 IEC materials; Engaged over 200 political, religious and cultural leaders to advocate for COVID-19 vaccination; Conducted x radio shows and aired x spot messages.
• Supply Chain Management: We supported stock reporting and monitoring, and last-mile delivery vaccines including re-distribution to ensure sufficient stocks and avert vaccine expiries. 1,105,743 COVID-19 vaccine doses were delivered to healthcare facilities. Improved COVID-19 vaccination reporting from 17.5% to 95% in 3 months.
• Service delivery: Supported COVID-19 vaccination at 383 static sites, 99 community outreach vaccination sites, and 1525 AMVC sites.
• Data management: Supported COVID-19 backlog data entry and reduced backlog from x % to x% in 3 months, and roll out of SMART paper technology for real vaccine data capture in 17 districts and 2 cities.
• Monitoring of adverse events following immunization (AEFI): Established pharmacovigilance sub-committees in 10 hospitals supporting, supporting the detection, reporting and follow-up of AEFI.

Yellow Fever Preventive Mass Vaccination Campaign (YFPMVC): The Ministry of Health/UNEPI with support from GAVI transferred YFPMVC funds to Baylor-Uganda to provide technical and financial support to local governments. The campaign targeted populations aged 9 months – 60 years in Bunyoro and Rwenzori regions.

The region’s performances.

Life course vaccination

Baylor Foundation Uganda is supporting the Uganda National Expanded Program for Immunization (UNEPI) under the Ministry of Health (MOH) to coordinate life course vaccination for children in our supported districts. This initiative aims to ensure that every child living in remote and underserved communities has access to essential vaccines to protect them from preventable diseases, include:

• Cancer of theCervix: HPV Vaccine
• Diphtheris(DPT-HepB-Hib)
• Influenzae infection-Hib(DPT-HepB-Hib)
• Hepatitis B infection: Hepatitis B (DPT-HepB-Hib)
• Measles: Measles Vaccine
• Neonatal Tetanus–Tetanus Toxoid (for WCBA)
• Pneumococcal infections: Pneumococcal Conjugat Vaccine
• Poliomyelitis(OPV/IPV)
• Tetanus (DPT-HepB-Hib)
• Tuberculosis(BCG)
• Whooping cough:Pertussis (DPT-HepB-Hib)

Objectives:

• To increase immunization coverage and protect children from preventable diseases.
• Ensuring that every child in every district has access to life-saving vaccines.

Supporting the supply chain distribution of vaccines: Baylor Foundation Uganda is working in partnership with healthcare facilities to ensure accurate forecasting of vaccine needs and is further supporting the redistribution of vaccines from overstocked to understocked healthcare facilities to prevent stockouts and wastage.

Conducting community vaccination outreaches: Baylor Uganda has also supported routine outreaches and campaigns during the child health days to take vaccination services to its supported districts in remote and underserved communities.