MESSAGE GUIDE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE. (For Health Promotion Team)

Transcription

1 MESSAGE GUIDE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (Fr Health Prmtin Team) 1

2 NOTE This guide brings tgether the main messages that cmmunity health wrkers (CHWs) need t knw. All activities at the health facilities shuld utilize the Infrmatin Educatin Cmmunicatin (IEC) materials as tls explaining them t patients and the cmmunity. In additin this guideline may be used in utreach and supprted by IEC materials. This guide shuld nt be read t the target ppulatin and will nly serve t supprt health prmtin teams. The messages must be adapted t the cntext and the target ppulatin. Especially cncerning funerals and burial practices. The messages f this guide may be spread in a single sessin using participatry techniques. A sessin f Questins / Answers must be prvided at the end f each sessin. Sessins shuld always be mnitred and recrded in a ntebk (r n a mnitring frm) and number f participants (wmen and men) shuld als be recrded. Gd luck! 2

3 WHAT IS THE VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVER EBOLA? Ebla hemrrhagic fever, nw knwn as Ebla virus disease, is a serius, cntagius and very deadly disease caused by a virus. Ebla is the name f a river in the DRC where the disease was discvered in There is n cure r vaccine against Ebla, but there is gd medical treatment. T prevent the spread,f Ebla it is necessary first islate the sick persn and then t begin case management, thus prtecting the family and cmmunity. Ebla is an exceptinal disease because f its dangerus nature. We talk abut it t prevent its spread and t safeguard the cmmunity. WHICH ARE THE SIGNS OF EBOLA? Symptms begin between 2 and 21 days after infectin, Ebla is characterized by the fllwing signs: Drawing 2 Cmment! This image des nt shw all the cmmn signs and symptms f Ebla but it s a gd place t start talking abut the thers High fever (brutal and prlnged) Abdminal pain Jint r bdy pain (especially the chest) Difficulty in swallwing Headache(s) Nausea, vmiting (can be bldy) Diarrhea (can be bldy) 3

4 Dehydratin (n tears, dry tngue, sunken eyes). Rash Spntaneus abrtins In sme cases bleeding frm the muth, eyes, nse, ears, anus. During the incubatin perid, meaning befre these signs appear, the infected persn cannt transmit the disease t thers. A persn is cntagius when ne begin t have ne r mre signs f the disease. HOW EBOLA IS TRANSMITTED? The Ebla virus is spread by: Cntact with infected bushanimals (mstly mnkeys and bats). Drawing 1 Cntact with a persn infected by the Ebla virus. Direct cntact with bdy fluids: bld, vmit, sweat, tears, saliva, urine, feces, breast milk, sperm, vaginal secretins, and runny nse. Drawings 10 t 18 Urine and stl Vmitus Saliva Tears Bld Snt Breast milk Sweat 4

5 Cmment! Might be frwn at in sme traditinal cmmunities T be used with cautin! Sperm and vaginal secretin A persn can be infected if any f the abve liquid(s) ges int his/her bdy by: the eyes, nse, muth, sex, r injury n the skin. Drawings 4 t 9 In the Eyes In the Nse The Muth Sex Injury r small cuts n the skin Cntact with drplets f bdy fluids, fr example by cughing (saliva). Unprtected (n cndm) sexual relatins with an infected persn. Breastfeeding (frm an infected mther t her child) Physical cntact with a persn wh died f Ebla. 5

6 When a persn dies f Ebla, the bdy is highly cntagius because it leaks fluids cntaining the virus. That's why nbdy shuld tuch the bdy withut special prtectin. Drawing 3 NB: The virus is nt spread by breathing the air, it is nt airbrn unless the infected persn cughs r sneezes n yu. Sme basic rules: a) Animals: Drawing 1 HOW TO PREVENT EBOLA? Avid tuching the animals yu find dead (especially mnkeys and bats and ther animals frm the frest). D nt prepare and eat bushmeat (either already dead r hunted by humans). b) Cntacts with a sick persn: Avid cntact with bdy fluids (bld, urine, feces, vmit, sweat, tears, runny nse, etc.). f a persn infected by Ebla. Drawings 10 a 18 D nt use the clthes, twels, sheets and blankets used by patients with Ebla. They must be burned, r disinfected by medical persnnel. Let the medical staff take care f the patient in islatin. D nt use r eat with the same utensils as smene sick f Ebla. 6

7 c) Ebla dead bdy s management: Drawing 3 D nt tuch the bdy f a persn dead frm Ebla, it is highly cntagius. Only the medical r lgistical teams, prperly prtected with glves, masks, gggles, cmplete utfit fr the bdy, can handle the bdies. D nt tuch bjects that have been in cntact with the dead persn. If smene dies at hme, yu shuld cntact the burial team t manage the bdy crrectly and disinfect the huse. d) Fr all suspected cases: Prmptly infrm the nearest health facility abut "Anyne with a sudden nset f fever" OR: "Diarrhea (with r withut bld), bleeding, rash, r bld in urine, r weakness and tiredness" OR: "Sudden Death" The cntacts f a sick peple (family, and every persn wh tuched a patient) shuld be fllwed by a medical team. e) In general: Yu shuld disinfect r destry any bject that has been in cntact with a patient with Ebla (call the disinfectin team). During the utbreak: d nt shake hands, give kisses r any ther unprtected bdy cntact. 7

8 WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE PRESENTS SIGNS OF EBOLA? When a case is identified, it is necessary t infrm the cmmunity wrker, mbile team, r the nearest health facility. D nt mve the patient. If the medical team cnfirms that it is a suspected case f Ebla, the patient will be placed in the patient treatment center. The rle f a cmmunity wrker is t reprt all suspected cases: "Any persn with sudden nset f fever" OR: "Diarrhea (with r withut bld), bleeding, rash, r bld in urine, r weakness and tiredness" Anyne wh has been in cntact with a case is called "cntact persn" and must be fllwed frm 2 t 21 days. The cntact persn cntinues t live at hme, but they cannt travel utside their village. We define a "cntact persn" as any persn wh have been in cntact with a case (even just suspected): When sleeping in the same huse Having had a direct physical cntact with the case (alive r dead) By tuching the clthes r the secretins f an infected persn. By sharing the same plate, spn and cup. By participating in a nnprtected burial f a deceased frm Ebla. WHY TAKE A PATIENT TO THE TREATMENT CENTRE? As we said, there is n cure r vaccine against this disease, but in the treatment center the medical team prvides the treatment f the disease Treatment f the fever Reductin f pain assciated with illness Nutritin Rehydratin Infected peple have a much higher survival rate if they receive early treatment at a health facility cmpared t staying at hme. Ebla is a deadly disease but a certain percentage f thse affected survive the disease. Gd management f patients by treating the signs will relieve the pain and may help patients in their fight against this disease. It is very imprtant t refer t the Treatment Center t: 1) Avid the spread f the disease and prtect the patient's relatives. 2) Treat the disease, relieve the patient frm pain. 8

9 FIGHTING AGAINST STIGMATISATION An utbreak f Ebla causes a lt f fear and stigma. Health prmters must remain respnsive t the cmmunity and explain the disease t reduce the fear and the stigma. The main prblems that may arise : Abandnment f sick peple : peple are s afraid that they prefer t let their family members die alne Infrm the cmmunity that medical teams will manage the patient and will disinfect the huse, thus the cmmunity will NOT be expsed s they have nthing t fear. Flight f the cmmunity members t escape the disease: this may increase spread f the disease and makes it difficult t fllw the suspects and their cntacts. Assciating the disease with witchcraft : the cmmunity prefers t see healers r prayer grups (with laying n f hands), wh may als becme infected. What happens t patients in care?: The patients chances f survival increase dramatically. They receive treatment frm trained prfessinals wh care abut the health and the well being f their patients. MESSAGES TO REMEMBER D nt tuch r eat the bushmeat f animals frm the frest Avid cntact with bld, urine, feces, vmit, sweat, tears, saliva, mucus, r genital secretins f an Ebla patient D nt handle the bdies f the patients wh have died f Ebla Infrm the nearest health center f any suspected Ebla cases. Seek healthcare immediately because infected peple have a much higher survival rate, if they receive early treatment at a health facility, cmpared t staying at hme. 9