Our focus during COVID-19

Early lessons from the Baltimore Health Corps

The Baltimore Health Corps, Jhpiego’s first ever US-based COVID-19 prevention project, has achieved its initial goal of establishing a network of contact tracers to identify coronavirus cases, help prevent the spread of the disease and link those affected to services, a new analysis shows. Jhpiego is a key member of the BHC public-private partnership that is led by the Baltimore City Health Department with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other key stakeholders.

Read the Press Release

“It is satisfying to see that the Baltimore Health Corps team reached our goal of hiring those displaced by the pandemic in a racially equitable way, while increasing the city’s capacity to respond to the health crisis. We need to continue to prioritize racial equity in our response to COVID-19, as well as demonstrate flexibility as the pandemic evolves.”

Otis Rolley III, The Rockefeller Foundation Senior Vice President, U.S. Equity and Opportunity Initiative.

Meet four contact tracers working in the Baltimore Health Corps

For the first time in our 46-year history, Jhpiego is serving in our own hometown, working with and on behalf of Baltimoreans, sharing lessons learned around the globe about contact tracing. We’re pleased to introduce Cheryl, Denisha, Joshua and Olivia, four of the 150-plus contact tracers we helped to train using materials we co-developed.

Learn about Jhpiego trained COVID-19 contact tracers

Operational Guidance for Continuity of Essential Services Impacted by COVID-19

A practical guide for program implementation and adaptation

In response to COVID-19, country leaders and health programs are working diligently to balance the need to provide attention and resources to the pandemic response with the need to maintain the delivery of other essential health services to preserve hard-earned gains in health outcomes.

To lessen the blow on fragile health systems, Jhpiego developed operational guidance that synthesizes global recommendations, current best evidence and critical resources to help health care providers, managers and leaders maintain essential health services during and after the pandemic, and ensure families receive the care and treatment they need and deserve.

Nurses on the frontlines

A New Nurse, a New Virus

Busy, bold and brave, this India nurse maintains her cool—and carries a mic—while combatting COVID-19.

Mozambique Prepares for COVID-19

Nurse Marieta Utui is among 103 health care workers mobilized in early April to respond to COVID-19.

Raising awareness, dispelling myths

Nurse Ranita Maibam works double duty in India’s fight against COVID-19, as a nurse and a mother.

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New personal protective equipment resource for health care workers

Based on World Health Organization guidelines, Jhpiego developed a handy infographic for health care workers, support staff and community health workers to help identify and utilize the right personal protective equipment.

Key considerations for intrapartum care in the context of COVID-19

Jhpiego’s new, easy-to-use reference based on World Health Organization guidance walks health care workers through initial assessment of clients presenting for intrapartum care in the context of COVID-19—from normal rapid assessment for complications in pregnancy to assessment for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Next steps for clients presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 are also provided, emphasizing infection prevention and control and provision of respectful, client-centered care.   

Ensuring Quality Family Planning Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic

On April 17, 2020, Jhpiego released guidance for family planning programs worldwide. Family planning remains an essential right for women and families, and services should be treated as such, while health care providers, clients and communities work together to stay safe and healthy.

Ensuring High-Quality Maternal Care in the Face of the Pandemic 

COVID-19 presents new challenges to pregnant and breastfeeding women and their health care providers. The guidance in these four graphics can help to ensure that all pregnant women, new mothers and infants receive respectful, client-centered care while taking precautions to avoid infection. 

Click on each image above to see it full-sized.

Respect women’s rights and ensure health worker safety.

Tweet this: We don’t have to choose one or the other! Laboring women deserve respect, privacy and dignity during childbirth—even with suspected #COVID19. Health workers deserve access to processes and PPE to stay safe. Both are possible. Innovative solutions + resolve are needed.

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Keeping health workers safe and facilities prepared to provide lifesaving care

We work with ministries of health and professional associations to build countries’ ability to prevent health care-associated infections among patients and health workers.

Since 1996, Jhpiego has led, designed and implemented initiatives for infection prevention and control (IPC), disease surveillance, outbreak response (most recently for Ebola Virus Disease and strengthening of IPC-related areas of health systems. Taking appropriate steps helps keep health workers, patients and communities safe. Jhpiego partners with host government institutions and health care and allied sciences associations to integrate IPC practices into technical programs. To do so, we:

• Build capacity. Jhpiego strengthens human capacity for IPC by:
  • Developing learning resource packages and national and international guidelines and standards
  • Training health care providers and master trainers in IPC
  • Building competencies in quality improvement

Jhpiego also has expertise in helping health systems to address the health workforce gaps and challenges created by outbreaks. During the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, we worked side by side with the governments of Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria to provide critical IPC training and assistance to ensure that health care workers were safe on the job and prepared to provide lifesaving care.

• Provide global leadership. We collaborated with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control to update our Infection Prevention and Control: Reference Manual for Health Care Facilities with Limited Resources and produce Prevention and Control of Ebola Virus Disease in Health Care Facilities with Limited Resources.

We also worked with a team at Johns Hopkins University to develop an enhanced personal protective suit for health care providers working in Ebola centers.

Technical resources for IPC and outbreak response

IPC modules for management of COVID-19 include:

• Module 1. Chapter 2: Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions
• Module 2. Hand Hygiene
• Module 3. Personal Protective Equipment
• Module 5. Facility Management:
  • Chapter 2: Environmental Cleaning
  • Chapter 4: Processing Reusable Health Care Textiles
  • Waste management and disposal
• Module 11. Infection Prevention and Control Program Management
  • Chapter 2: Principles of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Outbreak Management for Health Care Facilities

Read more about Jhpiego’s IPC programs

Visit Our IPC Homepage

Read our IPC Infosheet

Ebola Crisis in West Africa, 2014–2016

Having decades of experience in the region, Jhpiego worked side by side with the governments of Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria to provide training and assistance to health workers during the 2014–2016 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak. We assisted ministries of health and professional organizations as they addressed the crisis that disrupted many essential health services. We reinforced health workers’ infection prevention skills so they could perform their jobs safely. This work saved lives and was a crucial step in building the confidence of women and their families in health facilities so they would return for services—of particular concern for pregnant women and new mothers.