Reinforcing expertise in safe and dignified burials during outbreaks

Dakar – In a milestone for regional public health, Dakar hosted its first regional Safe and Dignified Burial (SDB) training, gathering 30 contributors from 10 African countries. Organized by the WHO Emergency Hub, the training marks the hub’s emergence as a regional reference centre for strengthening the strategy of nationwide and regional consultants in managing public health emergencies. This initiative no longer only targets to determine lives but furthermore to uphold cultural dignity and red meat up preparedness against outbreaks of haemorrhagic fevers love Ebola.

The classes of outdated Ebola outbreaks resonate deeply in the workshop. “During the 2014 outbreak, simply about 60% of fresh infections had been linked to unsafe burial practices,” said Dr Thierno Balde, WHO Regional Emergency Coordinator in Dakar. “This training ensures that we don’t repeat history. It’s about protecting lives while respecting cultural traditions.”

Zinedine Kada, the Regional Lead of Operations Toughen and Logistics (OSL), highlighted his expertise during the 2018–2020 Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We managed training and supervised SDB activities in quite loads of districts under challenging stipulations. Thanks to the RCCE division’s make stronger, RCCE helped communities understand the hazards of contamination linked to burials, vastly reducing transmission. Thanks to the joint RCCE and OSL activities, the SDB groups’ work has been embraced and accredited by the communities.

Participants engaged in practical workout routines, from correctly donning and removing PPE to position-playing true-existence burial eventualities. “Safe burials aren’t just a technical task—they’re deeply personal,” said Kamal Ait-Ikhlef, WHO’s Health Logistics Team Chief. “When performed excellent, they form belief between medical examiners and communities. That belief is as the biggest as any fragment of gear.”

The workshop furthermore explored cultural and emotional dimensions, with discussions led by cultural consultants and neighborhood leaders. “This training opened my eyes to the importance of engaging communities,” said a participant from Sierra Leone. “We’re no longer simply managing a public health crisis—we’re navigating deeply rooted beliefs and practices.”

By the finish of the week, contributors are no longer simply geared up with expertise—they’re a part of a growing community of SDB trainers ready to lead in their communities. “This training of trainers is a manner for the contributors to appropriate and switch these technical expertise linked to SDB activities to limit VHF illnesses particularly during VHF outbreaks,” eminent Zinedine Kada. “The contributors will train various workers and switch this information to all the technical departments involved in the Ministries of Health of the countries represented here at the present time.”

A Senior Scientific Officer from Uganda’s Ministry of Health reflected on the training’s impact: “This training has been both timely and transformative. I feel equipped to train colleagues at the national level on safe and dignified burials (SDB) and collaborate with them to cascade these trainings to sub-national levels. It will undoubtedly enhance our preparedness for future outbreaks, which remain unpredictable based on the background that, Uganda has experienced multiple Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks, the most recent being declared in 2022.”For the WHO Dakar Hub, this occasion represents a turning point in building Africa’s regional preparedness. “Here’s simply the beginning,” emphasized Dr. Balde. “We’re building resilient programs and empowering individuals to act as agents of commerce.”
Dakar’s regional hub is solidifying its position as a key participant in public health emergency response, enabling technical means building at an extraordinary scale. “This workshop underscores the importance of transforming challenges into opportunities for resilience,” eminent Kada.

Thanks to the dedication of these trainers, the fight against haemorrhagic fevers is bolstered, ensuring that safety and dignity remain at the forefront of outbreak responses across Africa.