Health and disease KQ3 (Roles of different groups in managing outbreak and spread of infectious diseases

Question 1

Roles of individuals

Answer 1

1) Familiarising themselves with types of infectious diseases and precautionary measures to prevent infection

2) Exercise social responsibility by learning importance of maintaining sanitary conditions.
- Follow advisories given by authorities
- Take precautionary measures

3) Cautious and alert, not take part in risk-taking activities
4) Taking latest vaccinations and following advisories

L: Not everyone is socially responsible.

• Difficult to monitor and implement measures that everyone will benefit from and follow
• Govt has to put in more resources and effort = diversion of resources

Question 2

Roles of communities

Answer 2

1) Implement measures to address specific problems faced in the area

2) Cooperate with one another by suggesting effective measures that benefit everyone
- Monitor and train health workers

3) Community feels more involved and more likely receptive to treatment and advice
- Provide support to residents,
- Personally communicate with them to understand their needs and concerns

Question 3

Sierra Leone

Community-Led Total Sanitation

Answer 3

• Speedily increase sanitation coverage
• Eliminate open defecation
• Raise awareness of and provide affordable sanitation
• Communities plan for themselves and dig toilets for households
• Successful in reaching out to invite NGOs and district health management teams to cooperate together
• 754 communities involved in June 2009
• Reduction in diarrhoea

L: Only effective in rural areas where population density is lower. Urban areas more difficult to build and maintain public toilets

Question 4

Govt Precautionary measures: National HIV/AIDS Strategy, USA CDC

Answer 4

HIV Prevention Goals of NHAS for U.S. over the next 5 years:

• Lower the annual number of new infections by 25 percent
• Increase from 79 to 90 percent the percentage of people living with HIV who know of their infection
• Reduce the HIV transmission rate, a measure of annual transmissions in relation to the number of people living with HIV, by 30 percent
• Increase the percentage of newly diagnosed people linked to care within 3 months from 65 to 85 percent
• Increase the proportion of HIV-diagnosed gay and bisexual men, African Americans, and Latinos with undetectable viral load by 20 percent

L: Only small fraction of estimated Americans benefit from these pre-exposure prophylaxis. Those who need HIV prevention, care and treatment services still not getting them.

Question 5

Mitigation measures: Singapore, 5-pronged approach to vector control

Answer 5

1) Surveillance
- Examine activity of vector populations and occurrence of vector-borne diseases

2) Education
- Public education campaigns to inform people of how to prevent spread of vector borne diseases (i.e. S.A.W, B.L.O.C.K, 5 step mozzie wipeout)

3) Enforcement
- Pre-emptive approach by conducting regular inspections of residential and commercial areas to remove breeding grounds.
- Fines imposed when lapses found

4) Research
- Conducting lab and field research to understand vector-borne diseases
- Help develop tools for risk intervention
- e.g. Project Wolbachia: release sterile males, females lay unhatchable eggs, reducing mosquito population
- Nee Soon East dengue cluster: 80% decrease in mosquito population after sterile males released

5) Regulation
- Licensed operators provide vector control
- Pesticides and repellent products sold must meet standards

L: Climate change and global warming. Temp increase, population increase, breed faster

Question 6

IOs: UNAIDS

Answer 6

• Achieve Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and zero aids-related deaths
• Reduce sexual transmission of HIV aids
• Making antiretroviral therapy and education more accessible

e. g. Global Fund and Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) cooperated to raise Round 10 grants of USD$483 million to help Kenyan government eradicate new HIV infection
- HIV infection amongst children decreased 44%

L: Discrimination, stigma and violence still prevalent in many countries
- Prevents success of managing spread of HIV

e.g. Cameroon, 13% HIV-positives denied HC

Question 7

NGOS: IHAA (International HIV/AIDS Alliance)

- HIV, Health and Rights: Sustaining Community Action Strategy

Answer 7

• Increase access to HIV and health programmes
• Support communities in implementing effective health systems
• Support need for HIV, health and human rights

e. g. Reached out to 3 million people,
- Zambia, equipped women with advice on sexual health
- Provided accurate information on HIV/AIDS and offered prevention measures

L: Depends on willingness of govt to better allocate resources, cooperate with volunteers, and funds from donations