The World Health Organization worked with the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services (MoH) and the Sri Lankan College of Microbiologists to design a set of training modules for healthcare workers (HCW) on infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines related to COVID-19 in the Sri Lankan setting.
The team of microbiologists and virologists representing the College and MoH and WHO Sri Lanka technical staff developed the nine-module training course and a self-learning course for distance delivery, including a combination of PowerPoint slides with and without voice, instructional videos, and question and answer sessions.
All materials were created in all three official languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English.
The MoH Directorate of Healthcare Quality and Safety took steps to ensure the modules were delivered to all training institutes and hospitals. The course is now a part of the mandatory in-service training for all staff, and the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists will use the material in their routine training.
These training modules will build on that success by increasing awareness and normalizing best practices. The team also reviewed WHO global infection prevention and control guidelines and adapted them to align with MoH’s policies and circulars.