Infection Prevention and Control in Liberia 5 Years After Ebola: A Case Study

• Published in: AAOHN journal 2021-06, Vol.69 (6), p.242-251
• Main Authors: Ridge, Laura Jean, Stimpfel, Amy Witkoski, Klar, Robin Toft, Dickson, Victoria Vaughan, Squires, Allison Patricia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case reports; Case studies; Disaster management; Disease control; Disease prevention; Ebola virus; Ebolavirus; Emergency management; Emergency preparedness; Epidemics; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - prevention & control; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola - transmission; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Infection Control - standards; Infection Control - trends; Infections; Interviews as Topic - methods; Investments; Liberia; Medical personnel; Nurses; Occupational health; Personal protective equipment; Prevention; Protective equipment; Qualitative Research; Safety; Viral diseases; Viruses
• ISSN: 2165-0799; 2165-0969; 2165-0969
• DOI: 10.1177/2165079921998076

Background: Effective management of health emergencies is an important strategy to improve health worldwide. One way to manage health emergencies is to build and sustain national capacities. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2015 resulted in greater infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in Liberia, but few studies have investigated if and how that capacity was sustained. The purpose of this study was to examine the maintenance of IPC capacity in Liberia after Ebola. Methods: For this case study, data were collected via direct observation of nurse practice, semistructured interviews, and document collection. Data were collected in two counties in Liberia. Data were analyzed using directed content and general thematic analysis using codes generated from the safety capital theoretical framework, which describes an organization’s intangible occupational health resources. Findings: Thirty-seven nurses from 12 facilities participated. Ebola was a seminal event in the development of safety capital in Liberia, particularly regarding nurse knowledge of IPC and facilities’ investments in safety. The safety capital developed during Ebola is still being applied at the individual and organizational levels. Tangible resources, including personal protective equipment, however, have been depleted. Conclusions/Application to Practice: IPC capacity in Liberia had been sustained since Ebola but was threatened by under-investments in physical resources. Donor countries should prioritize sustained support, both financial and technical, in partnership with Liberian leaders. Occupational health nurses participating in disaster response should advocate for long-term investment by donor countries in personal protective equipment, access to water, and clinician training.