Obiora Okafor

Outbreak Response IPC Leadership:

• Served as IPC Pillar Lead for Lassa Fever, Ebola, Cholera, Monkeypox, and Diphtheria Technical Working Groups (TWGs).
• Conducted rapid IPC assessments for military hospitals designated as Lassa Fever treatment centers.

IPC Policy & Guideline Development:

• Co-developed Nigeria’s first National IPC Strategic Plan (100% implementation success).
• Reviewed and updated IPC guidelines for COVID-19, Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHF), and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Training & Capacity Building:

• Coordinated IPC training for 8,400 healthcare workers across 19 states (UNICEF-supported).
• Coordinating and mentoring 396 IPC focal persons under the $5M Global Fund C19RM Project.

Health Systems Strengthening:

• Spearheaded the 'Orange Network' initiative, establishing IPC committees in 36 states and the FCT.
• Developed a Participatory Approach to Learning in Systems (PALS) for sustainable IPC improvement.

IPC Training Coordinator & Facilitator.

World Health Organization (WHO), Africa CDC, Robert Koch Institute.| 2020 – 2023

• Designed and facilitated IPC training modules for frontline health workers in eight states (COVID-19 response).
• Served as the National Training Coordinator for WHO’s North-West Zonal IPC Program.
• Conducted Train-the-Trainer (ToT) workshops for West African countries under Africa CDC.

Project Administrator – IPC Improvement Initiatives

NICADE IPC Sub-Project (NCDC and Robert Koch Institute, Germany)|2019 – Present.

• Implemented innovative IPC improvement strategies (social/behavioral change, team building).
• Developed monitoring tools for IPC compliance in healthcare facilities.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

✅ Developed Nigeria’s first National IPC Strategic Plan (aligned with WHO/Africa CDC standards).
✅ Trained over 40,000 healthcare workers on IPC, reducing nosocomial infections during outbreaks.
✅ Established IPC committees in 36 states + FCT, improving compliance with WHO standards.
✅ Pioneered Nigeria’s IPC progress from Level 1 (2017 JEE) to Level 3 (2023 JEE).
✅ Authored or co-authored more than five national IPC guidelines (COVID-19, VHF, AMR).

2008-2009: Research Officer; Gender Awareness for Sustainable Development (funded by Misereor).Root Causes of Gender-Based Violence (Imo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia), funded by UNFPA.)

2010 – 2014: Project Officer; initiated and implemented the Harmful Traditional Practices program funded by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which mobilized over 400 community members peacefully against harmful traditional practices in their communities through community conversations and a media campaign.

2014: Assistant Program Manager: Eradication of Early Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, funded by UNFPA.

2017 - 2019: Assistant Program Coordinator, Gender Mainstreaming in Social Accountability (GEMISA), Kogi Project.