¶ What is community engagement for cholera control?
“Community engagement in WASH is a planned and dynamic process to connect communities and other emergency response stakeholders to increase community’s control over the impact of the response. It brings together the capacities and perspectives of communities and responders. Effective community engagement encompasses other sectors and response teams [to ensure] that:
- Public health risks are reduced;
- Communities’ right to be involved in decision making is upheld, through honest dialogue and the provision of clear information;
- Programme quality is strengthened through good communication, participation and feedback;
- The programme is adapted to the evolving emergency, based on this feedback and on the needs and preferences of affected communities;
- Community acceptance and mutual trust underpins programme activities – particularly important in insecure contexts” (Oxfam, 2018).
¶ Guidance
The new global strategy for cholera control aims to achieve a 90% reduction in cholera deaths through the mobilization of cholera-affected countries with the support of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC). The Global Roadmap to 2030 calls on countries, technical partners and donors to step up their efforts and pool their resources to eliminate cholera by focusing on 3 key areas.:
- Early detection and quick response to contain outbreaks
- A targeted prevention strategy using vaccines in cholera hotspots
- Support, resources and partnership with GTFCC coordination and support
¶ Risk Communication and Community Engagement Tools for Cholera Response
