By Glenn Laverack, PhD
- Disease outbreaks present a unique set of circumstances that require fast and innovative strategies to ‘think outside the box’ and to ‘think ahead’ to better work with communities.
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Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay Disease outbreaks create fear and rumour in communities, often based on poor communication, cultural misconceptions and weak program delivery.
- A disease can move across geographical, social and cultural boundaries and takes fear and mistrust with it leading to community resistance, non-compliance and security incidents.
- A better understanding of how to work with security forces, local militia and rebel groups is essential when working with communities.
- People do not resist change they resist efforts to change traditional beliefs and behaviours and respect for the culture and local autonomy are essential in community work.
- Social science is crucial to understand the socio-cultural complexity of communities and how these circumstances can be best applied to an outbreak response.
- Lessons learned from efforts to eliminate polio and HIV/AIDS and traditional practices such as FGM can offer valuable insights into working with communities.
- Vulnerable groups in society such as migrants, survivors, unregistered persons, transient and sex workers and transgender can be neglected in a program response.
- Gaps in knowledge still exist on how to work with communities in urban slum, remote and cross-border settings.
- Strengthening networks and the capacity building of community-based organisations are essential initiatives in any program response.
Outbreaks and the role of health promotion with Glenn Laverack, PhD
