Lessons from Avian Flu and other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers to inform Ebola Competence

[Onesmus Mutuku]

Dear Friends,

What lesson did we learn from the psars or Avian flu epidemics and other viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) that could inform Ebola preparedness/response in the West African Countries?

Ideally Ebola Competence is needed to counter the boiling stigma, fear and anxiety amidst care, treatment and support efforts by intervening health service providers. We can show there is another way based on our cumulative experiences in facilitating local responses!

Lessons & Conclusion

We know and have learned that, health services and health systems 'alone' are not sufficient but rather an integrated care and prevention strategy interwoven with community conversations that are counseling in nature will turn around the epidemic?

Let’s explore this issue together and perhaps with a view to developing self assessment practices for Ebola Competence Development :-)

[Onesmus Mutuku]

Dear Laurie, Abed, Rituu

Lets keep thinking, and perhaps we can initiated a group. Most significant for me would be - a self assessment frame work for Ebola competence development by Communities and health facility adaptation. Essentially stimulating ownership, action from strengths to sustaining response in the face of this epidemic.

We need to walk over fear and anxiety, stigma and discrimination and facilitate communities to acknowledge , take charge, and act from strengths to turn around the epidemic through showing care and preventing new infections.

See WHO/CDC Manual for more info - http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/abroad/vhf-manual.html

Warm wishes,

Onesmus

[ABEDNEGO KITHEKA MUTUNGWA]

Onesmus

 Thank you for stimulating us ,if communities have applied clcp in other threads of issues affecting them  and our experience  speaks for itself then we can share confidently share to the world our rich experience in HIV/aids and Malaria ,that service providers cannot adequately tame the epidemic,we have seen these in many countries/communities where community life is taking lead .exciting!!

[khorchi laurie]

Hi Onesmus, 

Thank you for asking us to think about what we learn and what we can share about those lessons! 

Last week one of my friend ask me the question about Ebola and the CLCP process, and I truly believe we can transfer our experience to the Ebola issue. Do you want to set up a group of discussion about it and try to think about what we can do? 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Hi Onesmus,

thanks for your blog. Here is Taiwo's study and experience from Nigeria http://aidscompetence.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-fight-againt-ebol...

Warmly,

Rituu