WHO provides free e-learning COVID-19 courses for seafarers

As the COVID-19 pandemic has brought several challenges to the maritime sector and most importantly to seafarers, the World Health Organization (WHO) provides free e-learning courses addressing health issues and operational matters.

Specifically, the online courses  aim to

Promoting public health measures in response to COVID-19 on cargo ships and fishing vessels.

The first course targets seafarers, shipowners, unions and associations, and competent authorities for health and transport and aims to educate seafarers on being able to describe the public health measures that may protect seafarers throughout their journey to the vessel, on the vessel, and on the way home; and prevent and manage an outbreak of COVID-19 disease on board a cargo ship or fishing vessel.

Moreover, the second course targets National IHR Focal Points, Port health authorities (PHAs) and local, provincial, and national health surveillance and response systems, ship operators and port operators.

In this particular e-learning course, the shipping stakeholders will know how to:

• Draft an outbreak management plan for managing COVID-19 cases and outbreaks onboard ships;
• Manage an outbreak of COVID-19 disease on board a ship;
• Perform follow-up epidemiological and environmental investigation.