A Pilot Study Exploring the Feasibility of Using the Bornfyne Prenatal Management System (PNMS) Mobile Application to Increase Awareness of COVID-19 in Mumbwa District, Zambia

**Epidemic Control for Volunteers: Training Conducted in the Gulmi District, Nepal, for the Preparedness of Community Volunteers Against Epidemics**

#### **Deepak Pokhrel1 and Rujina Joshi2**

<sup>1</sup> Nepal Red Cross Society, Kathmandu, Nepal

<sup>2</sup> IFRC Nepal Country Delegation, Kathmandu, Nepal

During the last three years of the Emergency Health Project in remote communities of the Gulmi district, the Nepal Red Cross Society conducted community-level training utilizing the Emergency Control for Volunteers (ECV) training resource of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The ECV has been developed and promoted by IFRC since 2008 to prevent and respond to epidemics and outbreaks. The presentation aims to share information about the training and its outcome at the community level. The ECV consists of a simple community message tool, action tool, and disease tool, including the concept of a One Health approach. The training was conducted in phases by utilizing the ECV manual. At first, Training of Trainers was conducted, and the subsequent roll-out training was executed by the trained Red Cross personnel. After the training, a roster was prepared of all trained community volunteers for their deployment. In total, 321 community volunteers (male: 92 and female: 229) were trained and mobilized, namely for diarrhoeal disease prevention, dengue prevention, and COVID-19 response and vaccination campaign. The training has been an effective way to prepare the community prior to any outbreak and deploy the trained volunteers to support hard-to-reach communities in case of an outbreak such as COVID-19.

#### Conclusion

ECV training has been proven to be a useful training tool for community- based volunteers to enhance their capacity in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks at a primary level. It is applicable for people at a community level who can implement and disseminate the information learnt at a grassroots level.

*Figure 1. ECV- trained female community health volunteers.*

#### Authors

Deepak Pokhrel1 and Rujina Joshi2

1 Nepal Red Cross Society, Kathmandu, Nepal <sup>2</sup> IFRC Nepal Country Delegation, Kathmandu, Nepal

#### Introduction

The Gulmi district of Lumbini Province, Nepal, is one of the districts which has reported a growing incidence of reported cases of scrub typhus, dengue, and diarrheal diseases in the past years. In a three-year period (2018– 2020), the Nepal Red Cross Society implemented an Emergency Health Program, in which Epidemic Control for Volunteers (ECV) training was provided to community-based volunteers with a primary goal of developing the capability of the community to prevent and respond to epidemics and outbreaks.

#### Training Method

The training was conducted utilizing the ECV training resource of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The training module consists of a simple community message tool, an action tool and a diseases tool, including the concept of a One Health approach.

#### Outcome


Epidemic Control for Volunteers: Training Conducted in the Gulmi District, Nepal, for the Preparedness of Community Volunteers Against Epidemics

## *"When I come, I forget all my worries"***: How Urban Green Spaces Support Population Health**

**Marion Porcherie1, Anne Roué Le Gall1 , Marie-Florence Thomas3 , Zoé Héritage4 , Jean Simos2 , Nicola Cantoreggi2 , Zoé Vaillant4 , and Stéphane Rican4**

1EHESP, Arène URM/CNRS 6051 et LERES/IRSET

2Université Paris Nanterre

3Université de Genève

#### 4WHO Healthy Cities Network

The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated disparities in housing and living conditions, specifically for people who did not have access to a private garden or were denied access to a public urban green space (UGS) during the lockdown. Some countries, such as Austria, made the choice to let public UGS open, but not France. Based on the GREENH-City research carried out in cities of the French network of WHO healthy cities, this presentation aims to show that UGSs, depending on different drivers, can support a wide variety of physical and social activities but also offer multiple other functions that contribute more or less directly to the health of the population. A qualitative survey was conducted in 2018 among users of three different parks in each of the six selected cities. Both observations, semi-directive interviews, and thematic analyzes were performed. Observed activities were classified into eight groups, including physical activity (non-sport, sports). Interview analysis aimed to describe the reasons for coming and the type of activity made. In total, 186 observations and 591 recorded and unrecorded interviews with individuals or groups were conducted in the 18 parks. Twenty-four types of physical activity have been described as possible uses of UGSs. The most important, regardless of UGS's location, is children's activities in playgrounds. The most common activities are walking (with a social function) and jogging (individual function). Proximity and accessibility are two reasons for use. Security feeling is also one of importance. Most importantly, they provide a feeling of protection against the noise. As an open access amenity, UGSs are protective factors of population health. They serve an important social function and affect the collective physical and mental health of the population

in many different ways (e.g., as environmental risk regulators). They have played a major role in crisis coping for a population who had the chance to live nearby one of them. From a social justice perspective, policymakers should ensure that every neighborhood is sufficiently close to a UGS to ensure benefits for all.

Marion Porcherie1, Anne Roué Le Gall1, Marie-Florence Thomas1, Zoé Héritage4, Jean Simos3, Nicola Cantorreggi3, Zoé Vaillant2, and Stéphane Rican2

1 EHESP, Arène URM/CNRS 6051 et LERES/IRSET

2 Université Paris Nanterre

3 Université de Genève

4 WHO Healthy Cities Network

A qualitative survey was conducted in 2018 among users of 3 different parks in each of the 6 selected cities, and observations, semi-directive interviews and thematic analyses were performed.

Observed activities were classified into 8 groups, including physical activity (non- sport, sports).

The analyses of the interviews aimed to describe the reasons for coming and the type of activity carried out.

A total of 186 observations and 591 recorded and unrecorded interviews with individuals or groups were conducted in the 18 parks.

A total of 24 types of physical activity types of physical activity have been described as possible uses of UGSs.


Proximity and accessibility are two reasons for use. Feelings of security are also of importance. Most importantly, they give a feeling of protection against noise.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated disparities in housing and living conditions, specifically for people who do not have access to a private garden or were denied access to a public urban green space (UGS) during the lockdown. Some countries, such as Austria, made the choice to let public UGS be opened, but France did not.

Based on the GREENH-City research carried out in cities of the French network of WHO healthy cities, we show:

• How UGSs, depending on different drivers, can support a wide variety of physical and social activities, but also offer multiple other functions that contribute more or less directly to the health of the population.

As open-access amenities, UGSs are protective factors for population health. They serve an important social function and affect the collective physical and mental health of the population in many different ways (e.g., as environmental risk regulators).

They have played a major role in crisis coping for populations who had the chance to live near one of them.

From a social justice perspective, policymakers should ensure that every neighborhood is sufficiently close to a UGS to ensure benefits for all.

REFRENCES : Porcherie M, Vaillant Z, Faure E, Rican S, Simos J, Cantorreggi NL. The GREENH-City interventional research protocol on health in all policies.
