key: cord-0905467-t4y4954h authors: Durotoye, Idayat; Odunola, Rasheed; Adeyemi, Oluwapelumi; Akanmu, Alex; Bolarinwa, Oladimeji; Adeboye, Muhammed; Abdullahi, Ali; Bolajoko, Zulkarnain; Durosinmi, Wasiu; Adebisi, George; Aduloju, Veronica title: Pertinent roles of African higher institutions in the COVID‐19 pandemic response: The University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria; An African Model date: 2020-05-25 journal: Int J Health Plann Manage DOI: 10.1002/hpm.2984 sha: 1e3fde403b3c73e1818b4bbbfa466963225ad5ac doc_id: 905467 cord_uid: t4y4954h nan the University management to safeguard the University community. Within 3 weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, the committee successfully implemented a string of containment measures before the first confirmed case was reported in Ilorin, Kwara State. The sweeping impact of COVID-19 on healthcare facilities across climes, emphasizes the importance of early preparation of healthcare facilities. 4 The Unilorin health services was setup to meet the health needs of students and staff of the University community within a clinic facility that operates in collaboration with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, where cases that require specialist's attention are referred. Within the week of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the University clinic operations were modified to meet the imminent challenges of the epidemic. Routine and nonemergency visits to the University Healthcare Center were suspended. Healthcare workers were retrained and reassigned to emergency shifts with strict compliance to infection prevention and control guidelines. 5 A triage system for suspected cases was setup, which included a 24-hour collaborative emergency network with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, as well as the State and national emergency response taskforces. The far-reaching impact of misinformation and disinformation, exceed moral panic, 6 and can easily complicate an outbreak situation. To address phenomenal spread of such issues across networks, while providing the needed guidance for the University community, various platforms were adopted for a systematic release of veritable and accurate information to the University community. First, a 3-minute in-house produced video (on COVID-19 preventive measures) was aired weekly at film shows organized for students; shared through multiple social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter; and displayed on digital devices across the university campuses. On invitation from local television and radio media houses, live interviews on COVID-19 preventive measures were organized, aired, and streamed as corporate social responsibilities. Weekly interviews, audio-jingles and announcements on COVID-19 preventive measures in English and local languages were aired on the far-reaching radio waves of the University radio station (Unilorin FM) within 40 miles of the University campus. A series of weekly updates on the COVID-19 pandemic response was also published in the University bulletin; while health educational messages were circulated via the university website. The simple action of hand hygiene is widely accepted as the primary approach for the reduction of infections in healthcare settings as well as enhancement of patient safety. 7 The high burden of hand-acquired infections in healthcare LMICs emphasize a poor culture of hand hygiene. 8 A major source of COVID-19 transmission is through fomites, which requires touching of the face with contaminated hands; therefore, regular washing of hands with soap and copious amounts of water is highly recommended. In addition, the use of 60% to 90% alcohol-based solution in water (volume/volume) as disinfectants is highly recommended for their bactericidal, tuberculocidal, fungicidal, and viricidal properties. 9 To promote the culture of good hand hygiene as well as curtail spread of COVID-19, public hand wash stations were constructed across the University campuses by direct labor. 10 These were complemented with alcohol-based sanitizers produced in-house and dispensed through touchless sensor-based units and 100 mL aliquots across the University campuses. The University of Ilorin takes prides in the uniqueness of a curriculum policy best described as student-centered, community-based, and problem-solving. 11 In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, a community-based rural healthcare outreach was organized to four adjourning rural communities next to the University. Using role-plays and didactic approaches within focal groups, 12 communities were educated, respectively, on good hand hygiene, 7 social distancing, good respiratory hygiene, and other COVID-19 prevention strategies 13 in their local languages. As incentives, 100 mL aliquots of alcohol-based sanitizers were distributed to the communities through their leaders. The timeliness of response during an outbreak is a major determining factor of outcome. 14 However, the implementation of a sustainable response, requires efficient management of limited resources. Although it is expected of, a higher institution to meet the needs of her immediate community especially during a crisis, limited finance, and bureaucracy of approach 10 could be overwhelming. To ensure quality service delivery, in-house developed sustainable measures were adopted, to safeguard a community amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in Africa. This demonstrates possibilities and highlights pertinent roles of African higher institutions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus disease COVID-2019. Safe Risk Pharmacother Thinking ahead about the trade impact of COVID-19. Econ Time COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 pandemics: the lack of critical reflection addressing short-and long-term challenges Managing COVID-19 in low-and middle-income countries World Health Organization. Guidelines on Core Components of Infection Prevention and Control Programmes at the National and Acute Health Care Facility Level. World Health Organization Civil society must be defended: Misinformation, moral panics, and wars of restoration. Commun Culture Critique. 2020;1-22 The World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene in health care and their consensus recommendations Burden of endemic health-care-associated infection in developing countries: systematic review and meta-analysis Guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities Comparing the planning and performance of direct labour and design-bid-build construction projects in Nigeria Medical education in the community: a Nigerian experience Community entry in conducting rural focus groups: process, legitimacy, and lessons learned World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public Characteristics of and important lessons from the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention The committee wishes to thank the University management for the opportunity to serve. The authors disclose no conflict of interest.