Embedded Files
Health | Epidemic control
Photo credit: Gwenn Dubourtoumieu
The French Red Cross takes a comprehensive approach to health emergencies, spanning health prevention and awareness-raising in communities, as well as direct medical care, including consultations and psychological support for affected individuals.
With the rise of epidemics worldwide, the need for a more effective response has never been clearer. While the crucial role of communities in prevention, surveillance and response is now widely recognised, significant challenges remain.
Limited local capacity, insufficient coordination and inefficient approaches continue to restrict the impact of prevention and control initiatives, despite ongoing efforts to improve clinical care. In addition, the fragmented nature of health systems and disaster risk management, even within humanitarian efforts, continues to hinder a fully coordinated global response.
Therefore, it is essential to adopt a more integrated and collaborative approach to address these complex challenges.
Our objectives
Our objectives
Overall objective: To sustainably strengthen the capacity of communities and partner National Societies to anticipate, prevent and respond effectively to epidemics, thereby reducing their humanitarian and health impact.
Specific objectives
Strengthen community capacities for proactive and sustainable epidemic response: Community-based surveillance systems are operational and provide early warning alerts.
Improve the quality and accessibility of medical care during epidemic responses: Affected populations have access to quality primary healthcare, even in crisis settings.
Promote a One Health approach and interdisciplinary collaboration to better prevent emerging risks.
Integrate mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) across all health responses: Affected communities have access to MHPSS services that are culturally appropriate and tailored to available resources.
Foster innovation and knowledge sharing in public health interventions.
Photo credit: Gwenn Dubourtoumieu
Photo credit: Alex Bonnemaison
Our actions
Our actions
Develop and implement community health approaches focused on prevention, early detection, and rapid response, leveraging volunteers, local leaders and community-based surveillance (CBS) systems.
Establish dedicated treatment units or centres for epidemic-prone diseases, tailored to needs and intervention contexts.
Strengthen joint multi-sectoral surveillance and response capacities.
Integrate a One Health approach into health projects, collaborating with the veterinary, environmental and agricultural sectors, particularly in high-risk zoonotic areas.
Promote digital solutions (e-health tools, early warning systems, community radio, etc.) and ensure the documentation, evaluation and dissemination of best practices.
Monitoring indicators:
Monitoring indicators:
Percentage of surveillance projects incorporating the One Health approach.
Percentage of health facilities backed by infection prevention and control activities.
Epidemic Community-Based Surveillance
Epidemic Community-Based Surveillance
The French Red Cross has expertise in epidemic community-based surveillance, which consists of the systematic identification and reporting of public health events by members of a given community.
Photo credit: Alex Bonnemaison
Radiobox®
Through its innovative format, ease of use and strong mobilisation potential, Radiobox® is a powerful tool for community communication, particularly in epidemic preparedness and response contexts.
The ONE HEALTH approach
The ONE HEALTH approach
The One Health approach promotes a holistic view of human, animal and environmental health to address complex health issues. The French Red Cross actively contributes to this effort, designed to enhance both epidemiological surveillance and health system resilience.
French Red Cross isolation unit
French Red Cross isolation unit
Enhanced health protection for healthcare facilities during epidemic periods.
Enhanced health protection for healthcare facilities during epidemic periods.
Epidemic control: IFRC toolbox
Epidemic control: IFRC toolbox
Introduction video - IFRC - Epidemic Control Toolkit (French with subtitles) - 2022
Epidemic control: Toolbox for community volunteers and operations managers
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has published a comprehensive, practical guide on activities for epidemic prevention and control. This document, along with supporting tools (disease factsheets, action factsheets, and public messaging factsheets), are available in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish.
Webinars on epidemic control
Webinars on epidemic control
Epidemic Community-Based Surveillance
Climate change and epidemic risk on the Guiana Shield, what impacts and courses of action mobilizing the populations?
Insights from support activities implemented during the deployment of ERUs for the Ebola epidemic in the DRC
COVID-19
Google Sites
Report abuse