When a new case of an infectious disease is confirmed, the hours that follow decide whether it stays contained or turns into an outbreak that overwhelms a facility or a community. The Stopping an Outbreak: Infectious Disease Control Training Course, delivered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, is built around that critical window, preparing healthcare professionals to act decisively rather than reactively.

The course opens with outbreak detection and response before moving into the science of transmission, core infection control and PPE practices, prevention through vaccination, and the specific challenges of emerging pathogens and healthcare-associated infections. It closes with the monitoring, evaluation, and cross-team coordination skills that keep an infection control programme effective over time. Whether working in clinical settings, hospitals, or public health agencies, this course prepares professionals to face outbreaks head-on.

Who Should Attend / Target Audience

• Healthcare providers: doctors, nurses, and clinical staff responsible for infection control.
• Public health officials working in disease surveillance and outbreak response.
• Epidemiologists studying disease patterns, pathogens, and transmission risk.
• Infection control managers overseeing prevention and control policies.
• Health administrators, students, and early-career health professionals.

Knowledge and Benefits:

Upon completion of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Respond to outbreaks using contact tracing, quarantine, and pandemic preparedness protocols.
• Understand transmission mechanisms and the epidemiology of infectious diseases.
• Apply infection prevention and control measures, including correct PPE use.
• Promote vaccination programmes and health education to reduce disease spread.
• Integrate antimicrobial stewardship into everyday healthcare practice.

Module 1: When an Outbreak Hits: Detection, Response, and Containment

• Monitoring, detecting, and managing outbreaks using surveillance systems.
• Contact tracing and quarantine protocols in practice.
• Pandemic preparedness: response strategies, testing, and treatment protocols.

Module 2: The Science Behind the Spread: Pathogens and Transmission

• Types of pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
• Transmission pathways and the factors that accelerate spread.
• The burden of infectious diseases on healthcare systems and the economy.

Module 3: Core Infection Control and PPE Practices

• Hand hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, and environmental sanitation.
• Selecting and using personal protective equipment correctly.
• Developing and enforcing infection control policies that meet compliance standards.

Module 4: Preventing Disease Before It Starts: Vaccination and Public Health Measures

• Vaccine efficacy, scheduling, and public health vaccination policy.
• Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic stewardship.
• Community health education and national-level preventive measures.

Module 5: Facing New and Emerging Threats

• Epidemiology and origins of emerging pathogens.
• The role of international health regulations (IHR) in guiding global response.
• Developing clinical protocols for newly emerging infections.

Module 6: Keeping Healthcare Settings Safe

• Identifying and controlling healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
• Infection prevention and control specific to hospitals, clinics, and surgical settings.
• Protecting healthcare workers through vaccination, PPE, and hygiene standards.

Module 7: Measuring Impact and Coordinating the Response

• Evaluating infection control programmes and applying continuous improvement.
• Quality assurance for patient and healthcare worker safety.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and coordinated public health response.