Community Engagement And Mobilization Strategy For Ebola Outbreak

Community Health And Disease Prevention

Ebola, a virus disease, is a national disaster in every community in different parts of the world. The incidence and prevalence of the disease are very detrimental to any individual in the community since everyone is at the risk of attack. Experts in the field of medicine explain that prevention of Ebola incidences and prevalence is the best way to avoid or reduce hazardous effects associated with the disease. Research in the field reveals that Ebola is more prevalent in Africa countries than in other continents, especially in West Africa (WHO, 2016).  Community Engagement And Mobilization Strategy For Ebola Outbreak Essay Paper

Also, it is characterized by a vast death toll, which makes it a critical viral disease among human beings as far as matters pertaining to health are concerned. For example, Ebola outbreak reported in West Africa in 2013 by the World Health Organization indicated a death toll of 11310 patients of the 28 616 affected individuals (WHO, 2014). Hence, this paper will entail an effective strategy of mobilization and engagement in a community that can be established as an emergency response plan for the Ebola outbreak.

Previous events reveal that slow mobilization, coordination, acknowledgement and disagreements on techniques of intervention between the government and health agencies of the affected countries blocks timely interventions (Alexander, 2015). Hence, the strategy entails consultation, engagement, organization, participation, action, empowerment and capacity building.  Different approaches can be used in the response and preparedness to health emergencies such as the outbreak of Ebola (WHO, 2014). They include the top-down and bottom-up approaches.

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The engagement of the community is fundamental to the successful control of diseases outbreaks. Effective control of the Ebola outbreak, in this case, relies on the application of infection prevention packages, surveillance, contact tracing and control practices. Moreover, the establishment of efficient laboratory service with trained personnel, social mobilizations and safe burials would aid in the prevention and control of Ebola incidence and prevalence. Various top-down and bottom-up approaches would be significant if employed in the engagement strategy. Some of the activities include strengthening of infection prevention and control facilities in the communities and more so in the affected zones as well as the neighboring areas (Siedner, 2015).

Secondly, staff or health care providers can be trained further on techniques and measures such as effective sterilization of equipment and initiation of quarantine and isolation procedures. Correspondingly, equipping the laboratories with essential tools such as safety clothing and disinfectants would assist in controlling the spread of the Ebola Virus (Veenema, 2018). Also, engaging the community in significant hygiene would be advantageous in advocating individual control of the disease.

Engagement

According to prevention theories in health management, supportive care with rehydration in early stages, as well as symptomatic treatment, elevates the chances of survival for Ebola patients. However, a licensed treatment procedure has not yet been proven or established to neutralize the Ebola virus (Farrar, 2014).

Various health standard governed by ethical practices and laws that govern healthcare providers shed light on patients should be treated and handled regardless of race, gender, financial wellbeing and presumed diagnosis. The policies reveal that every patient has equal rights for treatment under the set standard precautions that dismiss health disparities in various healthcare institutions. In this case, patients diagnosed with Ebola should be subjected to high-quality hand and respiratory hygiene training procedures (Lundgren, 2018). Moreover, they should be enlightened to quality training of wearing protective gear during disease incidences, safe burial practices and careful injections. Ethically, samples obtained from animals and humans for Ebola investigative procedures should be only be manipulated by trained healthcare staff and stored using suitable equipment in the laboratories.

Different agencies in the community have a role to play as much as matters pertaining to health are concerned. Their actions may accelerate or counter the prevalence of the virus which may increase the cost of treatment as well as inflation of the economic aspects (Gillespie, 2016). Therefore, the government of the respective community affected by the virus should respond immediately through the provision of adequate funds and hospitality equipment enough to sustain the infected patients. A quick response would decrease the rate of Ebola spreading hence saving as many lives as possible.

On the other hand, the healthcare agency that participates in emergency health responses should act responsibly to control as well as prevent further spreading of the infection. The procedure would be characterized by the implementation of vaccination strategies, updating of diagnostics guidelines, the establishment of an outbreak research committee, and the evaluation of the WHO guidelines on health disaster management (Marais, 2015). Adequate funds, resources and personnel from the health facilitators and government would increase the quality of mobilization and engagement in emergency health response.

This strategy focuses on the establishment of teams that mobilize and strengthen the response towards Ebola. The team would be mandated with the assessment of the spread and nature of the virus and initiate a special strategy of focus towards it. Moreover, the team would assist with the coordination of logistical aspects as well as mapping of interventions. Also, the team can extend communication support to update the surveillance team on the prevalence of diseases in the community (Marais, 2018). The approach on special focus would provide health practitioners with more knowledge hence formulation effective means of controlling and preventing the spread of the viral infections. Still, the understanding of the possible risk factors related to the virus would be established.

Consultation

It is characterized by the provision of good hospitality towards the affected patients and increasing the operational skills of the health care providers. Hospitality would be associated with the provision of enough bedding, food, toiletries, drugs and other aspects that would accelerate the physical and emotional recovery of the patients. On the other hand, the capacity of providers would be built through refreshment of case management techniques through training and exchange programs (WHO, 2018). The advantage of using health prevention and response approaches, in this case, is that both health practitioners and community members obtain adequate knowledge of safety and health emergency responses. Community Engagement And Mobilization Strategy For Ebola Outbreak Essay Paper

It is associated with the maximum provision of support to communities or countries affected by health tragedies like Ebola. Prevention can be initiated through surveillance mechanisms that would assist in the monitoring of outbreaks. Also, assistance can be provided through the generation of preparedness and emergency plans. Empowerment would accelerate the rate of blocking prevalence and incidence of Ebola in the community (WHO, 2017). Moreover, support based on health care manpower and operational equipment would assist less capable communities or countries in maintaining the spread of the virus.

Application of the top-down approach in developing strategies propelling quality responses and preparedness during the outbreak of Ebola would be appropriate in this case. The approach focusses on the ladder of authority through which management of emergency health disasters can be withheld. In a community setting, the federal or state government control the activities initiated by healthcare givers during health emergencies such as the Ebola outbreak (Mukamel, 2014). The quality of preparedness, response, hospitality, surveillance, and other factors are determined by how fast or ready the government is in control and prevention of health disasters. Secondly, response and preparedness are intervened by healthcare providers in various health agencies. Care for the patient might be provided in nursing homes as well as third-party Medicare. Aspects characterized by the top-down approach include the direct control of services provided in nursing homes, the minimum number of staff requirements, policies governing hospitality, and regulation of healthcare activities away from nursing home sectors (Leventhal, 2015).

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In conclusion, the strategies have shed light on the preparedness and response of the community, the government and the respective hospital agencies in health emergencies concerning Ebola. It can be concluded that formulation of community engagement and mobilization strategies are essential in the response of disease outbreaks such as Ebola. They prepare individuals in the community to engage in emergency activities to object further spread of infections and mortality in the community. Moreover, it enlightens the community on the roles of each authority that govern the society in various phenomena. The government, federal and state, have the mandate of acting timely and providing adequate and quality resources and services to repair the damage caused by the infections. The health authorities are also mandated with research aspects meant to increase the quality of control and prevention of health hazards. Also, approaches apply response and preparedness of health during emergencies assist in the maintenance of quality services to the community.

References

Alexander, K. A., Sanderson, C. E., Marathe, M., Lewis, B. L., Rivers, C. M., Shaman, J., … & Eubank, S. (2015). What factors might have led to the emergence of Ebola in West Africa?. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 9(6), e0003652.

Farrar, J. J., & Piot, P. (2014). The Ebola emergency—immediate action, ongoing strategy.

Gillespie, A. M., Obregon, R., El Asawi, R., Richey, C., Manoncourt, E., Joshi, K., … & Quereshi, S. (2016). Social mobilization and community engagement central to the Ebola response in West Africa: Lessons for future public health emergencies. Global Health: Science and Practice, 4(4), 626-646.

Leventhal, H., Herold, J., Leventhal, E. A., Burns, E., & Diefenbach, M. A. (2015). Decisions and actions for life patterns and health practices as we age: A bottom-up approach. In Aging and Decision Making (pp. 283-308).  Community Engagement And Mobilization Strategy For Ebola Outbreak Essay Paper