Hussein M. Ebola response of MSF and ‘boiling frog’ WHO under scrutiny. Reuters, 2014 21 Aug https://www.reuters.com/article/us-foundation-health-ebola-response/ebola-response-of-msf-and-boiling-frog-who-under-scrutiny-idUSKBN0GL1TT20140821 (Accessed 23 July 2019).
- 1With new international assistance, add resources to support of the overall medical and public health systems to address the many other diseases recognized by the community as causing more morbidity and mortality than Ebola. In addition, linking Ebola response activities with contributions to community infrastructure, agricultural technologies, and economic opportunities may yield a more receptive posture in resistant communities by demonstrating that the goal of intervention is to improve the health of the community, not simply to prevent spread of the disease to western countries. This strategy has proven successful for polio eradication in active conflict areas (Garon and Orenstein, 2015).
- 2Assemble a multi-agency working group with expertise in anthropology, sociology, and communications to reinforce ongoing activities of messaging and community engagement, and to improve the effectiveness of conflict prevention and resolution interventions with armed rebel groups. We need to gain a better understanding of the motivations of these groups in their opposition to Ebola response efforts. This working group could be a sustainable resource, not only for this outbreak, but for other global health-related emergencies.
- 3Support the Congolese personnel involved in the outbreak, both professionals who have been involved since the onset and surge personnel hired locally. Many of the former group have put their usual lives on hold and are living far from homes not near the epicenter. Local personnel have suffered death threats and attacks for participating. Increasing the Congolese “ownership” of the outbreak by utilizing Congolese nationals is vitally important for reasons of national autonomy, investment, accountability, and local acceptability among others, but the magnitude of the contributions being made by these individuals cannot be overemphasized.
- 4Develop new strategies for security. Regular attacks on Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs) demonstrate that existing security arrangements are either insufficient for this type of complex humanitarian emergency or are too limited by current mission constraints to protect ETU workers and patients effectively. Sending armed forces into communities alongside response teams is not a preferred approach and may increase community resistance; however, this consideration does not obviate the need to ensure a robust, measured defense of ETUs (Nguyen, 2019) Consultation with security experts from a variety of industries may lead to strategies which are less confrontational but nonetheless enhance safety for response personnel.
Disclaimer
References
- Time to declare a public health emergency on Ebola.Wash Post, 2019 (July 10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/its-time-to-declare-a-public-health-emergency-on-ebola/2019/07/10/c77641fc-a327-11e9-b732-41a79c2551bf_story.html?utm_term=.92792031349b. (Accessed July 12, 2019))
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Hussein M. Ebola response of MSF and ‘boiling frog’ WHO under scrutiny. Reuters, 2014 21 Aug https://www.reuters.com/article/us-foundation-health-ebola-response/ebola-response-of-msf-and-boiling-frog-who-under-scrutiny-idUSKBN0GL1TT20140821 (Accessed 23 July 2019).
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