When Ebola hit Liberia in 2014, an atmosphere of fear and confusion contributed to the spread of the virus by making people unwilling to come forward for testing and treatment. Oxfam trained and equipped community health volunteers to go door-to-door, giving information and advice, encouraging anyon...e showing symptoms to go for tests, and keeping their family members informed about the progress of their treatment. The approach won the trust of communities and helped to slow the spread of the disease. This case study gives an overview of the programme, including aims, results and a personal story.
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the Lancet : Published Online July 31, 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61117-5
PLOS Currents Outbreaks. 2015 Aug 4 . Edition 1. doi:
10.1371/currents.outbreaks.0b0ba06009dd091bc39ddb3c6d7b0826
The objectives of the meeting were to agree on coordinated and aligned support to the 3 countries’ national health recovery plans (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone); to identify cross-cutting areas and opportunities for integration; to identify ways to improve implementation modalities; and to identi...fy actions including technical assistance needed to support the countries in the process of building resilient health systems.
The outcomes of the meeting consisted in proposed country action plans to move forward with the implementation of the recovery plans. The action plans includes:priorities and areas of work; activities needed to improve implementation modalities; technical assistance needs.
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It’s a big number, and yet it still fails to show the total damage of the Ebola epidemic – not just the deaths, but the loss of trust, traditions and fragile health systems. NPR has a lovely multimedia piece on one Liberian community traumatized by Ebola that does show that toll. What is strikin...g in the piece is not so much the trauma, though, but the resilience. Amid the trauma, we see the face and hear the words of a woman whose husband and his other wives have died of Ebola, and she is left to care for all of their children.
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Planning and preparedness are the keys to dealing effectively with threats that include infectious diseases caused by SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS, novel influenza viruses like H1N1, and Ebola. During outbreaks or epidemics of these emerging infectious diseases, healthcare f...acilities must carefully monitor the global situation as it evolves and conduct robust planning to promptly identify and safely manage a patient who may be infected and prevent further transmission. This module focuses on preparedness considerations for Ebola and how to engage a multi-disciplinary team to prepare your institution. Planning, preparedness, and practice will protect patients, visitors, and staff.
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The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is not over. WHO continues to work with governments and the international health community to get to zero cases and help countries stay there.
The funding requested in this supplementary appeal will enable UNHCR to enhance preventive, preparedness and response measures against EVD, participate in the regional and country inter-agency response and ensure continuity of operations, including preparations for the resumption of the voluntary re...patriation of Ivorian refugees, in the face of the Ebola crisis
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