No. The above event could not have been prevented. Before reacting I will base my argument in the following discuss.
What is an Epidemic? Epidemic is the outbreak of a contagious disease affecting an unusually large number of people or involving an extensive geographical area which may be short lived or last for years e.g cholera and HIV/AIDS.
Examples of epidemic Bubonic plague 1347-1350 Spanish influenza 1918 Asian influenza 1957 Hong Kong influenza 1968 SARS 2003 Swine flu (H1N1) 2009 Most recently Ebola.
Lessons from the Past 1. DORSCON (The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition): this is a colour coded framework to guide the response during pandemic. 2. The WHO provided an Influenza pandemic alert system with a scale ranging from 1(a low risk of flu pandemic) to phase 6(a full blown pandemic). 3. The International Health Regulations (2005) or "IHR (2005)" which has been in force since 15 June 2007 and reviewed in 2009. 4. - Vector quarantine - Close monitoring to prevent or curtail genetic mutation of the virus in vectors - Monitoring and reporting atypical conditions e.g atypical pneumonia (SARS)
My Reaction Lessons from previous epidemics are based on Alert Response to detect the disease on time create awareness to members states, build capacity to curtail and contain the disease. Never in time past has it occurred that issues like having health practitioners beating up while helping during an epidemic outbreak emanated before. The case in Guinea only revealed the level of ignorance concerning health issues in that part of the country. In Nigeria for example, awareness and public information was made available and that on time that every individual whether in schools, offices, churches, mosques, and villages knew what Ebola literally was and avoided it and accepted the modes of prevention made available by the health sector. Schools just resumed for the same reasons and the use of hand sanitizers was employed rather than IGNORE the information made available by the health sector.
This unfortunate incident could have been prevented if a bottom-up approach was utilized in designing and planning the health education programme. Lessons from history should have for warned them about the possibility of rejection of medical intervention. This is particularly so because the key stakeholders were not carried along in design and delivery of such programme. An appropriate preventive measure could have been involvement of community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the design and delivery of the health education. They would have had better listenership while their words would be very strong and persuasive in convincing the community to believe and use the knowledge being passed by the health educators.
No. The above event could not have been prevented. Before reacting I will base my argument in the following discuss.
ReplyDeleteWhat is an Epidemic?
Epidemic is the outbreak of a contagious disease affecting an unusually large number of people or involving an extensive geographical area which may be short lived or last for years e.g cholera and HIV/AIDS.
Examples of epidemic
Bubonic plague 1347-1350
Spanish influenza 1918
Asian influenza 1957
Hong Kong influenza 1968
SARS 2003
Swine flu (H1N1) 2009
Most recently Ebola.
Lessons from the Past
1. DORSCON (The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition): this is a colour coded framework to guide the response during pandemic.
2. The WHO provided an Influenza pandemic alert system with a scale ranging from 1(a low risk of flu pandemic) to phase 6(a full blown pandemic).
3. The International Health Regulations (2005) or "IHR (2005)" which has been in force since 15 June 2007 and reviewed in 2009.
4. - Vector quarantine
- Close monitoring to prevent or curtail genetic mutation of the virus in vectors
- Monitoring and reporting atypical conditions e.g atypical pneumonia (SARS)
My Reaction
Lessons from previous epidemics are based on Alert Response to detect the disease on time create awareness to members states, build capacity to curtail and contain the disease. Never in time past has it occurred that issues like having health practitioners beating up while helping during an epidemic outbreak emanated before.
The case in Guinea only revealed the level of ignorance concerning health issues in that part of the country. In Nigeria for example, awareness and public information was made available and that on time that every individual whether in schools, offices, churches, mosques, and villages knew what Ebola literally was and avoided it and accepted the modes of prevention made available by the health sector. Schools just resumed for the same reasons and the use of hand sanitizers was employed rather than IGNORE the information made available by the health sector.
This unfortunate incident could have been prevented if a bottom-up approach was utilized in designing and planning the health education programme. Lessons from history should have for warned them about the possibility of rejection of medical intervention. This is particularly so because the key stakeholders were not carried along in design and delivery of such programme. An appropriate preventive measure could have been involvement of community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the design and delivery of the health education. They would have had better listenership while their words would be very strong and persuasive in convincing the community to believe and use the knowledge being passed by the health educators.
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