COVID-19: NPHCDA to train 100,000 health workers ahead of vaccine arrival

Ahead of the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is set to train health workers who will be involved in the nationwide vaccination.

According to a statement signed by Mohammad Ohitoto Head, Public Relations of the NPHCDA, “over 13,000 health care workers have been trained at the national training of trainers in the first phase. This training involves participants from the national, state and local government levels. By March, 1 2021, the training will be cascaded to the ward and facility levels where over 100,000 health workers will be trained.”

The training, he said, is aimed at updating the skills of the health care workers in the effective handling, storage and administration of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of their arrival.

“Also, as part of preparations to ensure efficient and effective vaccination activities, a self e-registration link that will enable Nigerians to personally register themselves, obtain their pre-vaccination numbers and schedule their preferred date and time for vaccination has been created,” the statement read, adding that the e-registration link will be provided in the coming days.

Nigeria is set to receive four million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines as the first batch of vaccines expected in the country.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, while speaking at Monday’s weekly briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said the four million is part of the 16 million doses initially expected in the country.

The Nigerian government had announced it was expecting an initial 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX) by the end of February.