Duration: 2023 - 2025

Partner country: Côte d’Ivoire

Partner institution:

• Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké (CHUB), Côte d’Ivoire
• Université Alassane Ouattara de Bouaké (UniB), Côte d’Ivoire
• Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), Germany

Involved RKI unit: ZIG 2, ZIG 4, ZIG Office, Unit 37

Latest updates:

• Anthropologists investigate social logics of infection itineraries in healthcare facilities
• RKI and partners in Côte d'Ivoire open teaching laboratory and launch new joint projects

Challenges addressed by the project

Côte d’Ivoire’s (CIV) health expenditures per capita are among the lowest worldwide. CIV faces an alarming infectious disease burden and an increased risk of zoonotic spill-overs and infectious disease outbreaks. CIV is also located in a region that was identified as a hotspot for antimicrobial resistance emergence. The endemic burden of healthcare associated infections demonstrates the need for improved infection prevention and control interventions and increased (laboratory) surveillance capacities. The need to consolidate the integration of local public health structures and activities in the national public health system and interlinking local capacities with other national and international public health functions has become evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

The overall project goal is to increase Côte d’Ivoire’s public health capacities for laboratory-based genomic and antimicrobial surveillance, disease outbreak investigations, and infection prevention and control. Specifically, the project aims to:

• Reinforce genomic surveillance and outbreak management of pathogens with epidemic and zoonotic potential
• Build capacities for antimicrobial resistance control in the laboratory and public health system
• Reinforce infection prevention and control (IPC) capacities at Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Bouaké (CHUB) via the establishment of a training program for IPC multipliers and a sustainable local production and distribution of alcohol-based hand rub
• Develop an action plan with Ivorian stakeholders to optimize the integration of hospital surveillance structures in the national surveillance system.

Overview of activities

The PAcCI project activities focus mainly on 4 key aspects:

Firstly, genomic surveillance capacities of pathogens with epidemic and zoonotic potential shall be reinforced though hands-on workshops on high throughput sequencing, bioinformatics and phylogenetic methodologies.
Practical training is also provided in managing zoonotic disease outbreaks.

Secondly, antimicrobial resistance control is built in the laboratory and public health system through targeted workshops. This is achieved by developing a laboratory mentorship plan for combating antimicrobial resistance.

Thirdly, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) capacities are reinforced through targeted workshops, as well as developing a system for the production and distribution of alcohol-based hand rub in Côte d’Ivoire.

Fourthly, the integration of hospital-based and national surveillance is key. The focus here is reviewing national and local disease surveillance policies. Additionally, mapping hospital-based surveillance and national disease surveillance actors, and drafting an action plan for improved integration of hospital surveillance structures in the national surveillance system.