Breaking the silos in community-driven epidemic preparedness and response
Summary:
Epidemic preparedness often works in silos and is concentrated at the national level, with One Health coordination not trickling down to the community level. Using a model of community engagement and participation, while working with both national and local leaders and influencers to drive locally led change, communities become active participants in epidemic preparedness and response. By building on existing systems and engaging local structures, communities have been empowered to take ownership of early warning and response mechanisms. This has resulted in increased collaboration across sectors and community level actors which has built trust in response systems while building community level capacities. Early results show the approach works for diseases ranging from cholera, Ebola, measles, to anthrax. Using a variety of community engagement and behaviour change communication methods, communities and local structures now have the knowledge and confidence to report into existing surveillance systems, while the reach of primary level health and veterinary structures is increased down to the individual level, with trust built on both sides. Community level epidemic preparedness and early warning systems must be built on a foundation of community engagement, trust, and two-way communication. This is especially true for One Health initiatives, as interactions between humans and animals at community level are ingrained in culture and tradition, requiring trust and local ownership for the adoption of protective health behaviours that may clash with entrenched traditions. This can have huge implications for animal diseases that can pass to humans such as anthrax, avian influenza, and Ebola.
Background/Objectives:
Epidemics begin and end in communities. When communities are engaged and trained in epidemic preparedness and response, they become vital contributors to finding and stopping outbreaks, speeding recovery and building resilience. The Red Cross/Red Crescent has long focused on helping communities prepare and respond to health emergencies. IFRC's Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program (CP3) scales up this effort with an emphasis on a One Health approach. The program works across sectors, ensuring communities and local actors are at the centre, strengthening their ability to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats before they become outbreaks.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Epidemic preparedness has historically worked in silos and concentrated at the national level, with One Health coordination not trickling down to sub-national or community levels. Bringing together multiple government ministries (health, agriculture, education, environment), media, and community structures and associations at the local level is the first step to breaking down barriers. Using a model of community engagement and participation, while working with both national and local leaders and influencers to drive locally led change, communities become active participants in epidemic preparedness and response. This is achieved by addressing health and livestock management behaviours at the individual, group, community, and peer network levels, using an array of methods from interpersonal communication, rumour and feedback tracking, community health promotion sessions, mobile cinema sessions and radio shows. This approach builds knowledge and skills of national and local actors while strengthening existing health and veterinary structures that facilitate sustainable community-led response.
Results/Lessons Learned:
By building on existing systems and engaging local structures, communities have been empowered to take ownership of early warning and response mechanisms. This has resulted in increased collaboration across sectors and community level actors in epidemic preparedness which has built trust in response systems while building community level response capacities. In Uganda, volunteers have identified measles cases leading to vaccination campaigns; raised potential Ebola alerts into surveillance systems; and increased community knowledge by 47% on Ebola prevention through a variety of community engagement and behaviour change communication methods. In Cameroon, volunteers working with their communities to end an ongoing cholera outbreak have identified measles and cholera cases, leading to immediate community level cholera preparedness and response activities. By engaging schools and traditional community structures in Kenya, reporting rates of anthrax and other zoonotic diseases have improved, resulting in increased vaccination of livestock and greater community ownership of disease prevention.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
Establishing community epidemic preparedness and early warning systems is possible, but only when built on a foundation of community engagement, trust, and two-way communication. Working with diverse partners across government and trusted community structures is crucial. This is especially true when taking a One Health approach, as interactions between humans and animals at community level are ingrained in culture and tradition, requiring trust and local ownership for the adoption of protective health behaviours that may clash with entrenched traditions. This can have huge implications for animal diseases that can pass to humans such as anthrax, avian influenza, and Ebola.
Abstract submitted by:
Bronwyn Nichol - IFRC
Epidemic preparedness often works in silos and is concentrated at the national level, with One Health coordination not trickling down to the community level. Using a model of community engagement and participation, while working with both national and local leaders and influencers to drive locally led change, communities become active participants in epidemic preparedness and response. By building on existing systems and engaging local structures, communities have been empowered to take ownership of early warning and response mechanisms. This has resulted in increased collaboration across sectors and community level actors which has built trust in response systems while building community level capacities. Early results show the approach works for diseases ranging from cholera, Ebola, measles, to anthrax. Using a variety of community engagement and behaviour change communication methods, communities and local structures now have the knowledge and confidence to report into existing surveillance systems, while the reach of primary level health and veterinary structures is increased down to the individual level, with trust built on both sides. Community level epidemic preparedness and early warning systems must be built on a foundation of community engagement, trust, and two-way communication. This is especially true for One Health initiatives, as interactions between humans and animals at community level are ingrained in culture and tradition, requiring trust and local ownership for the adoption of protective health behaviours that may clash with entrenched traditions. This can have huge implications for animal diseases that can pass to humans such as anthrax, avian influenza, and Ebola.
Background/Objectives:
Epidemics begin and end in communities. When communities are engaged and trained in epidemic preparedness and response, they become vital contributors to finding and stopping outbreaks, speeding recovery and building resilience. The Red Cross/Red Crescent has long focused on helping communities prepare and respond to health emergencies. IFRC's Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Program (CP3) scales up this effort with an emphasis on a One Health approach. The program works across sectors, ensuring communities and local actors are at the centre, strengthening their ability to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats before they become outbreaks.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Epidemic preparedness has historically worked in silos and concentrated at the national level, with One Health coordination not trickling down to sub-national or community levels. Bringing together multiple government ministries (health, agriculture, education, environment), media, and community structures and associations at the local level is the first step to breaking down barriers. Using a model of community engagement and participation, while working with both national and local leaders and influencers to drive locally led change, communities become active participants in epidemic preparedness and response. This is achieved by addressing health and livestock management behaviours at the individual, group, community, and peer network levels, using an array of methods from interpersonal communication, rumour and feedback tracking, community health promotion sessions, mobile cinema sessions and radio shows. This approach builds knowledge and skills of national and local actors while strengthening existing health and veterinary structures that facilitate sustainable community-led response.
Results/Lessons Learned:
By building on existing systems and engaging local structures, communities have been empowered to take ownership of early warning and response mechanisms. This has resulted in increased collaboration across sectors and community level actors in epidemic preparedness which has built trust in response systems while building community level response capacities. In Uganda, volunteers have identified measles cases leading to vaccination campaigns; raised potential Ebola alerts into surveillance systems; and increased community knowledge by 47% on Ebola prevention through a variety of community engagement and behaviour change communication methods. In Cameroon, volunteers working with their communities to end an ongoing cholera outbreak have identified measles and cholera cases, leading to immediate community level cholera preparedness and response activities. By engaging schools and traditional community structures in Kenya, reporting rates of anthrax and other zoonotic diseases have improved, resulting in increased vaccination of livestock and greater community ownership of disease prevention.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
Establishing community epidemic preparedness and early warning systems is possible, but only when built on a foundation of community engagement, trust, and two-way communication. Working with diverse partners across government and trusted community structures is crucial. This is especially true when taking a One Health approach, as interactions between humans and animals at community level are ingrained in culture and tradition, requiring trust and local ownership for the adoption of protective health behaviours that may clash with entrenched traditions. This can have huge implications for animal diseases that can pass to humans such as anthrax, avian influenza, and Ebola.
Abstract submitted by:
Bronwyn Nichol - IFRC
Source
Approved abstract for the postponed 2020 SBCC Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. Provided by the International Steering Committee for the Summit. Image credit: IFRC