Health Emergency Response Plan for An Outbreak of The Ebola Virus

Running head: HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR AN OUTBREAK OF THE
EBOLA VIRUS 1
Health Emergency Response Plan for An Outbreak of The Ebola Virus
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HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR AN OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA
VIRUS2
Health Emergency Response Plan for An Outbreak of The Ebola Virus
Health emergency response plan for an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease is very critical
in providing necessary guidance to help in the preparedness and response when there is an
outbreak of the disease. According to FOCUS 1000, US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and UNICEF (2014), health emergency preparedness and response for Ebola virus
disease may result into the discovery of unrecognized hazard which may jeopardize the plan.
This paper therefore discusses the community engagement and mobilization strategy for an
emergency response plan for an outbreak of the Ebola virus.
Community Engagement and Mobilization Strategy
Community engagement and mobilization in preparedness and response fore Ebola virus
disease is a noble way of encouraging the community to participate in matters concerning the
health and well-being. Strategies are thus important because it helps in evaluating the community
needs and vulnerabilities (Gillespie et al., 2016).
Engagement
The success of the preparedness and response plan depends on the engagement of the
community. By engaging the community in the plan, it is possible to learn about their needs ands
vulnerabilities and therefore take measures. Moreover, engaging the community will attract the
support of community leaders who will feel that they contribute to Ebola preparedness and
response plan hence encourage the community members to embrace the plan (Hemashree,
Rubini, Lohala, & Nithya, 2016).
Consultation

HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR AN OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA
VIRUS3
Consultation involves seeking out the input of the community on matters which affect
them. Opening the formal and informal channels of communication will result into getting
feedback from the community on the needs and priorities of the community. Pedi et al. (2017)
argue that community consultation is very essential in disaster preparedness and response as it
enables the community members to articulate their own concerns. Additionally, consultation
helps the community to identify the appropriate responses and solutions to the problems they
face. This requires making the community members ambassadors and building trust and mutual
relationships with them.
Participation
Getting the community to participate in matters that affect their health and well-being is a
critical step towards ensuring the success of a preparedness and response plan of Ebola virus
disease. The community can participate by volunteering thereby easing tapping into more local
networks. Jiang et al. (2016) argue that community participation ensures that the needs and
problems of the community are adequately addressed. It also enables the community to take
responsibility for their own health and welfare as they will be aware of the nature of Ebola virus
disease and its impact on their lives.
Organisation
Organization of different activities and including the community has the ability to
mobilize and engage these people. Holding community assembly meetings and electing local
representation to coordinate the activities of Ebola virus disease preparedness and response will
make the community feel included in matters their welfare. It is the responsibility of local
authorities and health agencies to ensure that the community members are organized so as to