The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of stronger community early warning systems and the potential of community roles in case detection, reporting, testing, contact tracing, home care and community response. With many players at national and local levels, collaboration and agreements across stakeholders engaged in CBS and traditional surveillance systems are essential to ensuring consistent application of best practices, and drive towards developing a stronger integrated/ coordinated surveillance system and partnerships.
The Inter-Agency Community of Practice for CBS was
organized in October 2023 to spearhead collaboration, experience
sharing, development of key guidance, documentation and working modalities at
the global, regional and sub-regional level among partners engaged in
community-based surveillance. Current
members include WHO, IFRC, UNICEF, US CDC, USAID, Save the Children, MSF, Robert
Koch Institute, Norwegian Red Cross, UK-PHRST/ LSHTM, Resolve to Save Lives and
Harvard Medical School.
Objectives of the webinar
- To share examples of success stories of how communities can prevent outbreaks through strengthening early detection, warning and local response to outbreaks, during preparedness, readiness and response in different settings.
- To highlight the role of community health workers, volunteers, members and community stakeholders in early detection, warning and local response.
- To provide examples of how the national level can strengthen community-level early warning and response within the national surveillance and health security system.
Speakers
Overview of community protection and the importance of CBS: Dr Kai von Harbou, Unit Head, Community Readiness and Resilience Unit, Country Readiness Strengthening Department, WHOBuilding health resilience through community-based surveillance in the Red Cross and Red Crescent: Dr Petra Khoury, Director for Health and Care Department, IFRC
Integrated environmental-animal-humans surveillance - response systems in communities: The example of the Adadle woreda in Ethiopia: Prof Dr Jakob Zinsstag-Klopfenstein, Human and Animal Health Unit, Deputy head, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Empowering Local communities: KRCS's Approach to Community-Led Outbreak Detection and Response: Biwott K. Hazael, Community Based Surveillance Officer, Kenya Red Cross Society
Overview of global fund investments in early warning surveillance including community based systems: Arun Balajee, PhD, Senior Specialist, Pandemic Surveillance, Technical Advice and Partnerships, Global Fund
Panel discussion and Q&A
Inter-Agency Community of Practice on Community-Based Surveillance
Rachel Goodermote (Facilitator), IFRC
Dr Rim Kwang-il, Team Lead (a.i.), Community Readiness and Resilience Unit, Country Readiness Strengthening Department, WHO
Dr Hilary Bower, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Philip Ngere, Division of Disease Surveillance and Response, Ministry of Health, Kenya