RESUMO
The 2014-2015 epidemic of Ebola virus disease in West Africa primarily affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Several countries, including Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, experienced Ebola importations. Realizing the importance of a trained field epidemiology workforce in neighboring countries to respond to Ebola importations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Field Epidemiology Training Program unit implemented the Surveillance Training for Ebola Preparedness (STEP) initiative. STEP was a mentored, competency-based initiative to rapidly build up surveillance capacity along the borders of the at-risk neighboring countries Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. The target audience was district surveillance officers. STEP was delivered to 185 participants from 72 health units (districts or regions). Timeliness of reporting and the quality of surveillance analyses improved 3 months after training. STEP demonstrated that mentored, competency-based training, where learners attain competencies while delivering essential public health services, can be successfully implemented in an emergency response setting.
RESUMO
In the late summer of 2014, it became apparent that improved preparedness was needed for Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in at-risk countries surrounding the three highly affected West African countries (Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia). The World Health Organization (WHO) identified 14 nearby African countries as high priority to receive technical assistance for Ebola preparedness; two additional African countries were identified at high risk for Ebola introduction because of travel and trade connections. To enhance the capacity of these countries to rapidly detect and contain Ebola, CDC established the High-Risk Countries Team (HRCT) to work with ministries of health, CDC country offices, WHO, and other international organizations. From August 2014 until the team was deactivated in May 2015, a total of 128 team members supported 15 countries in Ebola response and preparedness. In four instances during 2014, Ebola was introduced from a heavily affected country to a previously unaffected country, and CDC rapidly deployed personnel to help contain Ebola. The first introduction, in Nigeria, resulted in 20 cases and was contained within three generations of transmission; the second and third introductions, in Senegal and Mali, respectively, resulted in no further transmission; the fourth, also in Mali, resulted in seven cases and was contained within two generations of transmission. Preparedness activities included training, developing guidelines, assessing Ebola preparedness, facilitating Emergency Operations Center establishment in seven countries, and developing a standardized protocol for contact tracing. CDC's Field Epidemiology Training Program Branch also partnered with the HRCT to provide surveillance training to 188 field epidemiologists in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Senegal to support Ebola preparedness. Imported cases of Ebola were successfully contained, and all 15 priority countries now have a stronger capacity to rapidly detect and contain Ebola.The activities summarized in this report would not have been possible without collaboration with many U.S and international partners (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/partners.html).
Assuntos
Epidemias/prevenção & controle , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/diagnóstico , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/prevenção & controle , África/epidemiologia , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S./organização & administração , Busca de Comunicante , Diagnóstico Precoce , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola/epidemiologia , Humanos , Cooperação Internacional , Medição de Risco , Ensino , Estados Unidos , Organização Mundial da SaúdeRESUMO
Providing adolescents with evidence-based sexual risk reduction interventions is critical to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring) is an innovative, evidence-based, youth development intervention that is being evaluated for the first time in Botswana through a 3-year (2015-2017), 50-school cluster randomized controlled trial, including testing for herpes simplex virus type 2 as a sexual activity biomarker. Conducting a trial of this magnitude requires the support and collaboration of government and community stakeholders. All school staff, including teachers, must be well informed about the study; dedicated staff placed at each school can help to improve school and community familiarity with the study, improve the information flow, and relieve some of the burden study activities places on schools.
Assuntos
Participação da Comunidade/métodos , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Educação Sexual/organização & administração , Adolescente , Botsuana , Criança , Feminino , Herpesvirus Humano 2/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Capacitação em Serviço/organização & administração , Masculino , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Assunção de Riscos , Comportamento SexualRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Current HIV prevention options are unrealistic for most women; however, HIV prevention research has made important strides, including on-going development of antiretroviral-based vaginal microbicide gels. Nevertheless, social-behavioural research suggests that women's ability to access and use new HIV prevention technologies will be strongly influenced by a range of socio-cultural, gender and structural factors which should be addressed by communications and marketing strategies, so that these products can be positioned in ways that women can use them. METHODS: Based on an extensive literature review and in-country policy consultation, consisting of approximately 43 stakeholders, we describe barriers and facilitators to HIV prevention, including potential microbicide use, for four priority audiences of Kenyan women (female sex workers [FSWs], women in stable and discordant relationships, and sexually active single young women). We then describe how messages that position microbicides might be tailored for each audience of women. RESULTS: We reviewed 103 peer-reviewed articles and reports. In Kenya, structural factors and gender inequality greatly influence HIV prevention for women. HIV risk perception and the ability to consistently use condoms and other prevention products often vary by partner type. Women in stable relationships find condom use challenging because they connote a lack of trust. However, women in other contexts are often able to negotiate condom use, though they may face challenges with consistent use. These women include FSWs who regularly use condoms with their casual clients, young women in the initial stages of a sexual relationship and discordant couples. Thus, we consider two approaches to framing messages aimed at increasing general awareness of microbicides - messages that focus strictly on HIV prevention and ones that focus on other benefits of microbicides such as increased pleasure, intimacy or sexual empowerment, in addition to HIV prevention. CONCLUSIONS: If carefully tailored, microbicide communication materials may facilitate product use by women who do not currently use any HIV prevention method. Conversely, message tailoring for women with high-risk perception will help ensure that microbicides are used as additional protection, together with condoms.