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John,
Four months – that's the time it's taken for the coronavirus to become a global pandemic.
Having spent my career as a physician and global health practitioner working with humanitarian organizations, there is much we can learn now from responses to previous outbreaks and health emergencies—most of which hit fragile and crisis-affected countries the hardest.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), began in 2018 and has infected more than 3,300 people over the last 18 months. Ebola was exacerbated by a weak health system and decades of conflict, the response required a level of planning and coordination that is urgently needed now.
John, while COVID-19 is not Ebola, there are key lessons that can help us. Here is what I learned working on the frontlines:
1. Build trust
During the peak of the Ebola outbreak, communities were largely kept in the dark with minimal access to information about the disease, prevention, or treatment. Coupled with existing mistrust of the government and institutions, misinformation was rampant. An effective response requires credible sources including public health experts to serve as spokespeople providing evidence-based messages and clear guidance. Communications must also consider the local context. A one-size fits all approach does not work with a worldwide pandemic.
2. Integrate mental health care into the response
In the DRC, Ebola survivors and their families faced social isolation and even violence — a pattern we are seeing today with racially-motivated attacks. With more than 300 million children already out of school, and millions of adults working from home or facing economic hardship, mental health has to be a priority. We need to offer services addressing fear, anxiety, and stigma.
3. Recognize that impacts will be felt differently by women
Crises do not impact men and women the same way. Women often take on caretaking roles and make up the majority of the global healthcare workforce leaving them disproportionately exposed. We've seen that disease outbreaks also lead to increased violence for women and children. A rapid assessment from CARE in China showed that violence increased during COVID-19. Specialized protection programming should be included alongside an outbreak response.
4. Strengthen multilateral coordination
We know COVID-19 does not respect borders. To fight this we will need everybody — including governments, multilateral organizations like the World Health Organization, researchers, the private sector, and NGOs to share information, expertise and collectively respond to this pandemic. As money gets prioritized, fast and flexible funding is needed to not only combat COVID-19, but to also ensure that existing life-saving programs do not grind to halt, triggering further humanitarian disaster.
5. Invest in preparedness
The Ebola outbreak took over a year to contain in large part due to a weak health system. In the current crisis, high-income countries and philanthropies must act quickly to help prevent the spread in low-income countries where health systems are far weaker and vulnerable populations like refugees will be hit the hardest. Testing should be quickly expanded and accessible to everybody who needs one no matter where they live.
Four months ago, COVID-19 didn't even have a name, but as this pandemic continues to grow and disrupt millions of lives, our response needs to factor in what has and hasn't worked in the past.
John, these lessons, along with the support of people like you, will help us save lives. With the right approach, we can ensure four months from now we are on our way to turning the tide against this global threat.
If you are in a position to do so, you can donate to support our work helping refugees worldwide — including our work fighting to prevent and control coronavirus — at Rescue.org/donate.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mesfin Teklu Tessema
Dr. Tessema is the Head of the Health Unit at the International Rescue Committee, and IRC's senior leader in Health. He has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of public health, nutrition, international development and humanitarian affairs.
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