2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019‑nCoV): Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan

This strategic preparedness and response plan outlines the public health measures that the international community stands ready to provide to support all countries to prepare for and respond to 2019‑nCoV.
The document takes what has been learned so far about the virus and translates that knowledge into strategic action that can guide the efforts of all national and international partners when developing context-specific national and regional operational plans.

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Priorities for the Global COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable: sharp increases in caseloads will overwhelm health systems in countries already facing shortages of workers and supplies.

With millions of lives at stake, decisive action must be taken now to blunt the impact of the pandemic in countries likely to be hit the hardest. Investment is needed at all levels of the health system and Community Health Workers (CHWs) are poised to play a pivotal role in fighting the pandemic. Members of the Community Health Impact Coalition have come together to urgently outline the targeted actions needed to achieve the following goals:

  1. Protect health care workers
  2. Interrupt the virus
  3. Maintain existing health care services while surging their capacity
  4. Shield the most vulnerable from socioeconomic shocks

Source (English): Priorities for the Global COVID-19 Response

Source (Español): Priorities for the Global COVID-19 Response Español

Source (Français): Priorités de la réponse globale COVID-19

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COVID-19 in Pregnancy and Lactation

MotherToBaby is a non-profit organization focused on providing risk assessments to pregnant and breastfeeding women about various exposures, including infectious disease. We have created a fact sheet on COVID-19, which is updated frequently with the latest evidence-based information for pregnant and breastfeeding women who have questions about this virus. Versions are available in both English and Spanish.

Source: COVID-19 Fact Sheets

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    COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement Toolkit for Humanitarian Actors

    The purpose of this toolkit is to offer non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other humanitarian response actors a suite of guidance and tools they can use to rapidly plan and integrate Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) into their COVID-19 response. Given the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, these tools and guidelines will be updated as needed. This toolkit was developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs and Save the Children through the READY initiative, which is funded by USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

    Source: COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement Toolkit for Humanitarian Actors

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      Risk Communication in Disease Outbreaks – Introduction

      This presentation includes explanation of risk communcation, the use of the Extended Parallel Process Model, Paul Slovic’s Perception of Risk, WHO’s Integrated Model for Emergency Risk Communication, and possible key components and considerations for planning risk communication for COVID-19.

      Also included is information about:

      • Priority behaviors
      • Pandemic non-pharmaceutical interventions
      • Technical guidance
      • Complacency
      • Stigma
      • Misinformation
      • Developing message maps
      • Contextualizing messages and interventions
      • Selecting channels in an outbreak context
      • Multi-Modal SBC interventions

      Source: Risk Communication in Disease Outbreaks – Introduction

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        SBCC for Emergency Preparedness Implementation Kit

        The purpose of this I-Kit is to provide a set of key considerations for SBCC activities in emergency situations.

        This I-Kit provides essential information and tools for responding to an outbreak using an SBCC approach. It presents a series of nine units, each accompanied by exercise worksheets to help link the SBCC theory to practice.

        Each unit builds on the one prior, and they all combine to provide key information for developing an SBCC strategy. It is not essential, however, to work through the I-Kit from start to finish. Users can choose to focus on specific aspects for which they need support in their emergency communication response. The nine units and corresponding worksheets are outlined in the I-Kit Site Navigator.

        The worksheets in each section are typically followed by a completed example. The completed examples will likely include information about an emergency that, during an actual event, might not be immediately available. This was done to illustrate the full range of information to inform a strategic communication response.

        This kit is also available in Portuguese.

        Source (English): SBCC for Emergency Preparedness Implementation Kit

        Source (Portuguese): Comunicação para a Mudança Social e de Comportamento para Preparação de Emergência

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        Using Media and Communication to Respond to Public Health Emergencies: Lessons Learned from Ebola (BBC Media)

        This practice briefing sets out what BBC Media Action learned in delivering and supporting health communication in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014–15. It has a particular focus on Sierra Leone as this was the hub of the organization’s response.

        Source: Using Media and Communication to Respond to Public Health Emergencies: Lessons Learned from Ebola

        Views 551

        Prevent, Detect, Respond: How Community Health Workers can Help in the Fight against COVID-19

        In previous epidemics, rapidly expanding healthcare teams through community health workers (CHWs) has proven to be fundamental to an effective response. During recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and west Africa, nations like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, and the DRC rapidly hired, trained, and equipped thousands of CHWs from communities affected by or at risk of Ebola.

        Source: Prevent, Detect, Respond: How Community Health Workers Can Help in the Fight against COVID-19

          Views 469