The Nigerian Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) rolled out a nationwide training program on Thursday for health care workers who will be involved in the COVID-19 vaccination at the national and state levels, according to a statement seen by Sputnik
JOHANNESBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2021) The Nigerian Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) rolled out a nationwide training program on Thursday for health care workers who will be involved in the COVID-19 vaccination at the national and state levels, according to a statement seen by Sputnik.
"The training program is aimed at updating the skills of the health care workers in the effective handling, storage and administration of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of their arrival," the statement read.
The NPHCDA said that over 13,000 health care workers have already been trained, and the plan is to raise the number to 100,000 by March 1.
The Nigerian government maintains that with the support of the World Health Organization it continues to respond to the pandemic under a multi-sectoral national action plan coordinated through the presidential COVID-19 task force. The country said it has scaled up surveillance and diagnostic capacity and established additional case management facilities to mitigate excess mortality.
WHO Representative to Nigeria Walter Kazadi Mulombo told Sputnik that no vaccines have arrived in the country so far. He said the first batch of AstraZeneca's vaccine is expected into the country in early March via the COVAX international distribution initiative.
"In Nigeria, COVID-19 cases started surging in early December, similar to what was being observed in many other countries. Many factors may be responsible for this second wave of the pandemic. The increased mobility over the December holiday period in combination with mass gatherings and relative relaxation in adherence to public health and social measures such as wearing of masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene could have contributed to the surge in cases," Kazadi Mulombo said.
The World Health Organization said key efforts in flattening the curve include institutions and enforcement of measures to reduce the transmission, such as the enforcement of community mitigation strategies.
As of Thursday, Nigeria's COVID-19 toll is 153,842 cases, including 1,885 deaths and 130,818 recoveries.
