Enhancing Ebola Virus Disease Surveillance and Prevention in Counties Without Confirmed Cases in Rural Liberia: Experiences from Sinoe County During the Flare-up in Monrovia, April to June, 2016

In conclusion, as part of outbreak preparedness, community engagement may contribute to the reporting of community-based events, specifically community deaths for EVD surveillance. The mentoring of the staff at health facilities, combined with the assessment of IPC, would lead to behavioral change among the health workers, thereby increasing IPC compliance and improving outbreak surveillance. The low attrition among the personnel trained in outbreak response, and presence of supplies at health facilities made easier, faster, and affordable to achieve the reactivation of the response structures. We recommend a periodic reassessment of IPC supplies and equipment in health facilities, combined with mentoring of health workers, early advocacy for partners and stakeholders to provide the required equipment and to facilitate the construction of isolation units, and the implementation of reinforcement measures to reduce attrition among the trained health workers, especially within the first year after the end of any outbreak. Data Availability All data supporting this study are openly available from figshare, https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4902929. Competing Interests The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Corresponding Author Jeremias Naiene: naienej@who.int Appendix S1 File
Source: PLOS Currents Outbreaks - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Source Type: research