John Kaiwo Amara

Company Overview: This office was established in Sierra Leone in 2015 focusing on Global Health Security and Ebola response

CDC works closely with the government of Sierra Leone on strengthening laboratory, surveillance, emergency management, and workforce development capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.

• Presently working as the workforce development lead at the CDC Sierra Leone country office in Freetown

Accomplishments:

• Supported the Global Immunization Division at CDC HQ in Atlanta on Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Outbreak Response resources/material inventory, and the development of a high-level VPD outbreak response training agenda for the division.
• Supported the Sierra Leon Ministry of Health in the Establishment and launching of the National Public Health Agency.
• Supported the national Infection Prevent Control (IPC) unit and the Njala university in the review and update of the advanced IPC certification course curriculum.
• Supported the update of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) workforce training tracker tool.
• Maintaining a high-quality Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). (TEPHINET accredited program).
• Successfully completed seven cohorts of the FETP-Intermediate and Completed 15 cohorts of the FETP Frontline with more than 300 graduates.
• The FETP program became a reliable and leading public health emergency response arm of the Government.

Responsibilities:

• Serving as the contact person for the United States interagency Global Health Security (GHS), and Global Health Protection Progress Reporting (GHPPR) data collection, consolidation, and reporting.
• Providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and in-country partners to plan, implement and evaluate activities related to IPC and select Workforce development initiatives.
• Provide scientific advice and technical assistance to various public, private, and/or health-related agencies and organizations for IPC & workforce development related activities.
• Oversee performance of our cooperative agreement partners, carry out technical reviews, review progress, identify potential issues, inform supervisor, and recommend actions for amelioration.
• Conduct regular monitoring Site visits to ensure activities funded by CDC are correctly implemented and are achieving results.
• Working closely with my supervisor and colleagues, providing technical assistance for program evaluation activities that focus on priority issues
• In coordination with other program offices, develop innovative monitoring tools, where needed and appropriate
• Represent CDC at technical, policy and strategic planning meetings, including meetings with collaborators and donor agencies.
• Serve as a Liaison between CDC and MoH counterparts in various programmatic areas including the National IPC Unit, the Office of the Chief CHO, CHOs, DMOs, and the Njala University staff.

.Company Overview: The hospital consists of 100 beds to provide care to children less than 5 years of age, including a specialized Lassa Fever department, a laboratory, Laundry, sterilization, and X-Ray unit

• Worked as an Infection Prevention and Control supervisor at the MSF Hospital in Kenema, eastern province of Sierra Leone

Accomplishments:

• Being part of the small IPC team, participating in the coordination of all IPC activities; developed the IPC program as well as training and education of all staff on IPC practices, prior to the opening of the hospital
• Trained and educated medical and non-medical staff, and develop a functioning IPC committee, while also participating in addressing construction and design issues as the next phase of the hospital (maternal care services and operating theatre) is built
• To ensure good hand hygiene practices; we have worked to implement audits following the WHO recommendations within months of opening, so we can quickly address gaps and areas of concern before they develop into poor practices and to maintain a culture of IPC as a priority

Responsibilities:

• Training of all hospital staff (Clinical and non-clinical), on the COVID-19 preparedness, and case management trainings for clinical staff and hygienist in the context of IPC
• Since opening, a large focus of our program has been on teaching clinical staff the basics of IPC including hand hygiene and the use of PPE according to the risk, as well as decontamination of equipment and sharps safety.
• Regular audits on Hand Hygiene, Intravenous care, Decontamination of medical equipment's and general ward cleaning audit using the Ultraviolet (UV) Glo-check.
• I was primarily responsible for the management of the sterilization unit and making sure all reusable medical equipment/devices are being cleanse, decontaminated and sterilized to be used by the departments.
• Responsible for the management of the hospital kitchen in ensuring hygiene measures are being adheres to during food storage, preparation, and distribution.
• Ensuring the prevention of all health hazards in relation to food hygiene and special focus on the critical control points for food preservation and preparation.
• Responsible for the general management of the hospital laundry, making sure all hospital linens including clinical scrub suites are being reprocessed effectively, i.e., cleaning and disinfection using industrial washers and dryers, and a back-up manual washing system.
• Training the laundry staff on infection prevention control best practices in the laundry and its circuit.
• Assist in the management of the hygiene agents/hygienist/cleaners in the clinical departments, these includes administrative, trainings and on the job coaching etc.
• Training support to the Kenema Government Hospital on Infection Prevention and Control in the context of Covid-19 and public health best practices.

Worked as a Nutrition / WASH Supervisor at the CEDA-SL, implementing UNICEF's integrated Nutrition and WASH project; I was supervising 18 Peripheral Health Units (PHU) with feeding programme, in three chiefdoms, i.e., in kakua, Tikonko and Bumpe Chiefdoms in Bo district, and the implementation of WASH in selected schools and Peripheral Health Units (PHU) in the southern province of Sierra Leone.

Responsibilities:

• Make regular visits to PHUs with Outpatient feeding programme, ensuring compliance with the national Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) protocol and guidelines
• Making visits to communities and PHUs with WASH project and train the community WASH monitors on environmental health and community hygiene
• Ensuring there are adequate supplies at each site/centre and that proper record keeping is being done and collect forms weekly
• Assist in the training of Community Health Workers (CHW) and Mother Support Groups (MSG) in nutrition screening and referrals of acutely malnourished children under-five years to Out-patient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites
• Assist OTP sites in the referral of complicated Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) cases to the district hospital
• Monitor the screening and referral process with CHWs/MSGs to ensure proper referral of acutely malnourished children to the referral hospital.
• Participate in OTP training for health facility staff and assist in the education of caregivers on Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding practices (MIYCF) and Hygiene.

Worked as an Isolation unit Nurse with the International Rescue Committee Ebola Response Team at the Bo Government hospital Isolation Unit.

Responsibilities:

• Monitoring and ensuring IPC best practices and protocols within the isolation unit
• Assist in the training of forty-five (45) hygiene agents/cleaners on infection prevention and control best practices and assigned duties.
• Admission and discharge of Ebola suspected cases (Ebola-negative), and the transfer of positive Ebola patients to the MSF case management centre.
• Ensuring timely Medication and feeding regimen for suspected and probable cases in the isolation unit.

Served as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the MSF Gondama Referral hospital located within the southern district of Bo

• Assigned to the Intensive Care Unit and played a key role with the interdisciplinary team of paediatric doctors, nurses, and social workers
• Actively participated in the development and implementation of individual treatment plans, with broad range of clinical health issues and malnutrition.
• Ensured that all nutritional protocols are being followed and surveillance sheet for Severe Acute Malnourished patients are properly and correctly filled.

Accomplishment:

• Ensured that doctors' orders were effectively carried out, including testing, medical procedures, and consultations.
• Helped refine unit policies and procedures in the areas of general Nursing care, procedures, safety methods, discharge planning and documentation.
• Assisted with life-saving interventions including CPR and emergency intubation procedures when necessary, demonstrating proficiency in critical care skills.
• Responded to numerous outbreaks, earning the respect of physicians and co-workers for calm, level-headed and quick thinking to restore infection control safety and security of patients and staff.
• Provided emotional support to patients and families during difficult medical situations, fostering trust and rapport.
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