Evidence-based Lassa Fever Prevention

Kenema Government Hospital Tulane University

Lina Moses, PhD MSPH Field Director

Tulane University Lassa Fever Program

WF 015

• Project Start: 14 August 2012 • Project End: 31 July 2014

• Partners: – Tulane University – MOHS, Kenema Government Hospital – GOAL—sanitation marketing

• £199,781 WASH Facility, supplemental funds from Tulane

• Location: rural, Kenema, Bo, Kailuahun districts

• WF Themes – Capacity building in the WASH Sector – Small-scale pilot projects – Research, advocacy & sector learning

Evidence-based Lassa Fever Prevention and Integration into Kenema WASH Programmes

Lassa Fever • Fever, aches and pains, bleeding, shock • Case fatality rates can be over 69% of

hospitalized cases • Endemic to Sierra Leone, Liberia,

Guinea and Nigeria • KGH is only health facility for diagnosis

and treatment in Mano River Union • Mastomys natalensis

– Most common native rat in Africa – Found near human activity – Spreads many diseases

• Lassa virus transmission – Butchering rodents – Urine contaminated food, water, surfaces

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Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone

When we look for Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone, we find it.

Lassa Fever Across the West African Sub-Region

There is no formal Lassa Fever program anywhere in the world at the community level except the WASH Facility project

Lassa Fever is a rodent control problem Lassa Fever is a community hygiene problem

Lassa Fever Prevention

1. Rodent control intervention trial 2. Social marketing assessment 3. Crosslinking with WASH sector 4. Sanitation marketing pilot 5. Production of LF Prevention Toolkit for

MOHS, IPs

Rodent Control Intervention Trial 20 communities

Extermination

5 Villages

Exclusion

5 Villages

Hygiene

5 Villages 5 Villages—no intervention

Social Market Assessment • Consumer-focused (demand) assessment

– 8 communities from the Intervention Trial, two naïve communities in Kenema, two communities in non-endemic area

• Surveys • Focus groups • Interviews

• Supply assessment – Supply chain (large towns to small villages) – Costs – Motivation to sell

• Review and recommendations for IEC materials, San Mak promotional materials

• Input into Lassa Prevention Toolkit • April-May 2014

Sanitation Marketing Pilot

• Development of new products for rodent control

• Marketing of products

• Use of existing GOAL supply channels to produce and distribute rodent control products

• Monitoring uptake of messaging, rodent control products in GOAL target communities

Sanitation Marketing Pilot Development of new products for rodent control

125,000 Le

Sanitation Marketing Pilot Development of new products for rodent control

55,000 Le

Other products: Concrete thresholds To be launched at GOAL demonstration sites

Sanitation Marketing Pilot Marketing of products

• Radio talk shows • 2-minute jingles • A3 posters • Billboards

Sanitation Marketing Pilot

• Use of existing GOAL supply channels to produce and distribute rodent control products – March/April – Utilization of GOAL sanitation suppliers – Possibility of targeting peddlers and shops

• Monitoring uptake of messaging, rodent control products in GOAL target communities – May

Production of LF Prevention Toolkit for MOHS, IPs

1. Rodent control intervention trial 2. Social marketing assessment 3. Crosslinking with WASH sector 4. Sanitation marketing pilot

TOOLKIT June/July

Site Visit

NEKABO

MALEH