AMPATH COVID-19 Emergency Relief

AMPATH developed this plan to more broadly address COVID-19 in western Kenya while continuing to support existing care programs. The plan is grounded in the needs communicated by county Ministry of Health partners, the government of Kenya, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Each county will lead its COVID-19 strategy, adapting and improving as the pandemic evolves. AMPATH will provide technical expertise, equipment, and support for those most affected. 

Prevent: We will protect healthcare providers, community health workers, laboratory technicians and our community by facilitating improved access to PPE supplies including masks, face shields, gowns, hand sanitizer/hand soap and gloves for use for COVID-19 community and facility-based activities. In anticipation of global shortages and rising costs of PPE stock, we will support safe methods of PPE reuse (e.g. sterilization with hydrogen peroxide vapor, UV-germicidal irradiation, bleach wipes) and methods of local production. These methods for sterilization or local production will be incorporated into the PPE procurement plan once deemed safe, effective and feasible.

Promote: We will improve access to COVID-19 testing and quality of care for hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients.

Support: We will support a robust community response that focuses on COVID-19 prevention and surveillance and on economic empowerment and social support for the poorest individuals in communities most affected.

Maintain: We will ensure the maintenance of essential primary care health services using innovative delivery strategies that reduce risk for COVID-19 exposure. We will use a phone-based education platform to deliver relevant content, support home drug delivery services for chronic disease care (as appropriate within each phase of the pandemic), reduced cost chronic disease pharmaceuticals for those qualifying, and implement safe strategies for maternal delivery and childhood immunization services.