Supporting Jordan’s Fight Against COVID-19
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic. To rapidly prepare Jordan for the impact, the Ministry of Health (MOH) developed the “National Preparedness and Response Plan to Address COVID-19,” which includes a comprehensive approach to planning and managing the pandemic at all levels of the health care system.
To help the MOH address this national public health emergency, USAID requested that the Abt-led USAID Health Service Delivery project contribute to the National Response Plan for COVID-19 in Jordan. Importantly, this support includes readying healthcare providers to provide evidence-based and quality management of COVID-19 patients under their care.
The project, working with the MOH, developed the “Clinical Guidance and Protocols for COVID-19 Case Management." This guidance, grounded in international best practices and resources, includes case management strategies for different categories of patients, including pregnant women and children. Using this guidance, the project conducted a series of virtual training workshops to build the capacity of physicians and nurses to manage COVID-19 cases.
By May 2020, the project had already trained over 270 service providers from 35 public hospitals serving all the districts in Jordan. Training activities will continue in the coming months to increase the number of public providers who are ready and able to provide the right care at the right time for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases in their facilities and limit the spread of the disease.
“This training is crucial, especially for me and our nurses working in different departments at Karak Hospital,” says Enshirah Nawayseh, Head Nurse at Karak Hospital. “[It] will help me ensure that our nursing staff is ready and able to deal with COVID-19 cases.”
Ultimately, the project plans to train approximately 1,000 public health providers nationwide by September 2020. Through September 2020, the Abt-led USAID Health Service Delivery project will continue to help Jordan respond quickly to this pandemic, and flatten the curve to avoid overwhelming the health care system at any one time.
