Session 3.1. Before an epidemic

By the end of this session, you will be able to: 

• Explain what actions should be taken in the phase before an epidemic.
• Discuss preparedness.
• Explain planning and some planning tools. 
• Understand what volunteer training is.

Part 3.1.1. Prevention and preparedness

If you live in a region or community where epidemics occur regularly, or a place where you are afraid they will occur, you will want to try to prevent and prepare for them. Preparation takes place before, so that you can respond competently and effectively when an epidemic happens. If you know what to do and how to do it, your actions will help to reduce the harm the epidemic causes.

Prevention and preparedness take place at several levels, starting at your National Society’s headquarters and going all the way down to your local branch and community. Note that the National Society should itself be prepared but should also help the community to prepare.

Several issues need to be dealt with at this stage. To be ready for action when the epidemic comes, you need three things in place: 

1. A plan. What will volunteers do when an epidemic happens? 
2. People. Volunteers and others need to be available and trained to do the right things when an epidemic occurs. 
3. Resources. Equipment and materials need to be in place.

We talk about each of these below.

Part 3.1.2. The plan

A plan to manage epidemics is a vital tool. Created beforehand, it guides our actions when an epidemic happens. There are several levels of planning. The whole country has a plan, which is usually developed by the Ministry of Health. Your National Society usually participates in its preparation. Your headquarters should also have a plan of its own for epidemic control, as should your local branch, which you and your fellow volunteers and staff should help to create.

To make a plan, you will need to do the following:

Collect information on:

Risks (remember Session 2.3 on risk analysis): 

• What kinds of epidemics are a threat in your country or region? (The risks may include risks in neighbouring countries. Epidemics do not respect borders.) 
• What risk factors (threats or vulnerabilities) exist? Remember that risks can include community and individual behaviour or practices.
• What is the social and economic situation of the people in your community?

Resources

Resources are divided into three types: 

• Material (equipment, supplies, medicines, etc.).
• Human (trained and skilled volunteers, trainers, staff, etc.). 
• Knowledge (training materials, information, etc.).

You should determine what resources will be needed to carry out the plan that has been agreed. Check what resources you already have and what resources you need to obtain. For example, if the disease is a new one, where will you obtain information about the new disease and how to prevent it?

Relationships

Think about your relationships with: 

• The community.
• Health facilities.
• The government.
• Other National Societies, and representatives of the International Federation (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the country. 
• Other actors, including non-governmental organizations and other organizations that help during epidemics.
• International organizations in the country, such as WHO, UNICEF, etc.

How will you interact and communicate with each of these organizations before, during and after an epidemic?

Determine what actions need to be taken

You need to think, as we will describe in this module, what actions will need to be taken: 

• Before the epidemic. 
• During the epidemic. 
• After the epidemic.

Include them in your plan.

When you have done that, you should share your plan with other people in the National Society so that they know what to expect from you when an epidemic occurs. Working with your National Society, share your plans with relevant partners (such as health facilities).

Part 3.1.3. Resources

It will not be enough to prepare a good plan, even if many trained volunteers are available and willing to work. To manage an epidemic effectively, you will need equipment and materials, both for training and to manage the epidemic.

What equipment and materials you need will depend on the situation, the local branch, and the nature of the disease that causes the epidemic. Several things are needed to manage all epidemics. They include: 

• Training materials and manuals to train volunteers. 
• Education and communication materials to inform the community about the diseases that threaten them and behaviour they can adopt to protect themselves.
• Items people may need, such as shelters, tents, plastic sheeting, blankets, kitchen sets, water containers, etc. 
• Materials to address the causes of the epidemic, such as water treatment tablets, insect sprays, oral rehydration solution, etc.
• Materials for personal protection and hygiene, such as soap, gloves, masks etc. What these will be depends on the disease and the intervention in question. 
• Materials required for particular epidemics. For example, PPE will be needed to tackle highly contagious diseases, community oral rehydration point (ORP) kits to control cholera, etc.

Part 3.1.4. People and training

People – specifically, the volunteers and staff of the National Society – will implement the plan, manage the epidemic, and communicate with each other and the community.

For the Red Cross Red Crescent, the most important people in an epidemic are its local volunteers and staff. They work directly with the community and can make the biggest difference.

To make that difference, you will need to be ready. Training in the following topics can help you prepare well: 

• Epidemic control (ECV, this training and manual).
• How to run health programmes, including community-based health and first aid (CBHFA). 
• Behaviour change communication (BCC). 
• Psychosocial support (PSS). 
• Community engagement and accountability (CEA). 
• Understanding risk including the risks to your local community. 
• Creating a plan for the local branch. 
• Adoption of an alert and referral system before the epidemic, such as community-based surveillance (CBS).

This ECV training is designed to prepare volunteers to prevent and control epidemics, but it will also help you to communicate with the community and prepare it for epidemics.

You will need trained supervisors and facilitators at local level to support you in your work.

Group work

Divide into groups. Think about the situation in your local branch. What resources do you have available and what additional resources do you need to respond to an epidemic? Write your answers below.