Dealing with disease: the global - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Dealing with disease: the global and local responses to Ebola.Future Geographers 2018Gill MillerGA Junior Vice President 2017-18Senior Lecturer EmeritaGeography and International DevelopmentUniversity of Chester

2. Opportunity to explore health issues in the developing world.Role of global and local players in delivering health Assess effectiveness of top down and bottom up strategiesThink in particular about the role of women in delivering health care Illustrate some of these issues with reference to the 2014-15 Ebola crisis in West Africa2

3. An overview of the geography of health: a therapeutic landscape3

4. An overview of the geography of health: a therapeutic landscapeHolistic approachSynoptic – links between people and environment, people and policies, global and local, top down and bottom up etc4

5. Key players in delivering healthGlobalWHOWorld BankUNGAVIGlobal FundDevelopment banksPhilanthropistsINGOsNationalGovernment Ministry of HealthLocalCommunity leadersHealth professionalsLocal NGOsTeachersWomen5

6. What can global players contribute?WHO – advocacy, policy advice. Eg International Health Initiatives in 2005 - tools for surveillance of disease. Aim to protect spread of disease – but no support given to poor countries to implement. + recent challenges to its mandate. World Bank , Global Fund, GAVI, Gates, + MSF, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, UNICEF etc – contribute more money and more action. Galvanise global response.BUTChallenge = coordination of multiple agencies, each with their own priorities & purpose. Delayed responseSometimes lack of local knowledge6

7. What role for local players?Understanding of local situationsHave confidence and trust of local peopleImmediate responseBUTIgnoranceEmbedded cultural attitudes and practices, especially for womenWomen often marginalised, ‘conspicuously invisible’7

8. A word about women …….Women underpin health systems in the developing worldDominate reproduction, care-giving, running of householdsMajor contributors to local economy – informal work, traders, farmers. Vital for food security.8

9. … a gendered perspective…BUTWomen are rarely visible among global players in health.Lack of value placed on what women contribute to home, income generation, even reproduction Global health policies rarely explicitly recognise role of womenConcerns reduced to maternal health and family planningWomen are ‘conspicuously invisible’ Harman, S, 2016The few Women leaders in health….WHO D-G Margaret ChanMSF President Joanne LuiMelinda Gates has high profile9

10. … a gendered perspective e.g. World BankWB strategy focuses on improving maternal health so that women can participate in developmentWomen have a role in delivering developmentWomen’s health is not an end in itself but a means to enable them to fulfil their expected role as care giversWomen NOT seen as key players in informal care economy, although at high risk as 1st responders to disease10

11. Ebola: an example of a disease with global/national and grassroots responses 11

12. Ebola – global responseMSF flagged up 1st cases in Dec 2013 but ignored by WHO. March 2014 - WHO gave advice about Ebola. But its priorities were NCDs (non-communicable diseases) because that’s what donors wanted.Later WHO was heavily criticised for lack of foresight. Poor emergency response.Ebola treated as public health emergency rather than a humanitarian crisis. National governments couldn’t cope.September 2014 – UN used its leverage for huge international campaign. World Bank gave US$1bill….UN Global Ebola Response Coalition GERCUNMEER – UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response 19 Sept 2014 – 31 July 201512

13. Ebola – global responseMarch 2015 ‘Get-to-Zero ‘ campaignVaccination – ring vaccination, herd immunity. GAVI gave $5mill to fast track and stockpile vaccine developed from Merck.July 2015 UNDP conference on rebuilding and recovery. (+ EU, World Bank, AfDB, African Union)Aim – to ensure that recovery efforts built better and greater resilience13

14. Ebola – global responseIn the end: Too many players / hugely complexVehicle donated by UNICEF using DfID fundingFuel paid for via Caritas, funded by CAFOD, funded by World Vision funded by DfIDFood for driver provided by GOAL as part of ERC funded by DfIDDriver paid by MoHSRisk pay paid for by World Bank or DfIDVehicle serviced by local mechanics paid for by World Vision14

15. Ebola – role of global players√ scale expertise mobilisation advocacy for funding logistics / capacity of militaryX Response time – personnel, plan, develop strategy. Motives? Self protection? 15

16. Ebola – community responseSierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea were unprepared to respond to crisis.Infrastructure problems – mapping epidemic was difficult because stigma in communities. E.g. deaths hidden, bodies buried without reporting.Govs set up cordons sanitaires.16

17. Ebola – community responseImportance of family linksCultural activities associated with burialFamilies refused to obey new by-laws17

18. Ebola in the communityCritical influence of local leaders to lead prevention messageFear /mistrust of national gov, foreigners who arrived with layers of protective gear, and who took loved ones away.Problem of closing porous borders. Needed community support to be effective.Importance of collaboration between global, national and local organisations. 18

19. Local responses to EbolaSierra Leone – NGO Focus 100 used public address system, Facebook & Twitter to mobilise messages from religious leaders.Liberia – NGO People Empowerment Programme worked with Scout Movement – sensitisation campaign, street plays to highlight safe practices.Local responses - check points, road blocks,Financial support from diaspora19

20. Local responses to Ebola: part of‘Get to zero’ campaignCollaboration was criticalNational campaign supported by UN. Required local action – in Liberia run by Mercy Corps.Month long social mobilisation to get grassroots support 3-day sit-at-home exercise to stop people interacting. Health messages:Safe burialsReport the sickClean toiletsWash handsCall 11 for ambulance for sick people20

21. Ebola and women - adverse impactsWomen are key players in health care and combating disease, but also especially vulnerable:More women work as nurses, cleaners, laundry workers in hospitals & clinics.Women assist in childbirth therefore very exposed to Ebola. Became unwilling to care for pregnant women.Pregnant women turned away from clinics – fear of contamination. Turned to unsafe traditional birth attendants instead.Mothers passed infection on to new-borns.Increased sexual exploitation & violence against girls displaced by Ebola.21

22. Ebola and women – wider impactsEconomic losses – self employed, cross border trade stopped, restricted movement.Microfinance firms substantially reduced their lending –women affected mostFall in income - women vulnerable to disease and hunger.Farming – new crops not planted. Future food security?Schools closed therefore gender gaps in education.Women took responsibility for orphaned children.22

23. ConclusionsGlobal and national top-down policies and responses, strategies, decisions are crucialto enabling coordinated approach to health, despite challenges to help make cultural change acceptable & overcome stigmabut ineffective without cooperation at grassroots levelGrassroots action to empower people & communities to help themselvesto overcome stigma, ignoranceNeed to recognise role of women & include them in leadership & policy making23

24. Conclusions: future responsesImportant to have global responses to help national governments to address disease at local scale:-Improve local health facilities – transport, electricity, Improve data reporting, including gender disaggregated dataReduce gender gaps in education for girls & orphansEstablish national social protection safety netAdvocate against & raise awareness of harmful traditional cultural practices. Strengthen local community education.24

25. Therapeutic landscapeDealing with disease needs Global and local actionEffective global and local stakeholdersHolistic response across the therapeutic landscape.25

26. Whose responsibility is it for dealing with disease?And where do you start? 26