For each of the areas that you explored in week3, identify the community strengths and resources that currently exist.
Part 1: Complete the following chart. Be as specific to your community as possible. Familiar sources of data include the Chamber of Commerce, community libraries, social service agencies, newspapers, agency personnel. In addition to these sources, you will interview someone who is actively engaged with the at-risk population you are investigating.
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| Needs Assessment | Community Strengths and Existing Resources |
| Environment/Living arrangements | Pollution is a significant concern and preventing it has lots of economic and environmental benefits. Raw materials extraction and processing causes pollution and utilizes a lot of energy. Changing production methods can save money and minimize pollution levels. Pollution prevention gives cleaner water and air, reduces landfills wastes, conserves natural resources, lower water and electricity bills, reduces soil erosion, and increases community property value. |
| Access to transportation | The community directly depends on roads, rails, and air infrastructure for the ease of transportation. The availability of these infrastructures creates access to the community, opens up the society for resource extraction, allows the cultural and tourism business. |
| Financial considerations | The community largely depends on donations and support from the government. Finances are needed to build infrastructure, provide security, support local talent and local businesses. |
| Cultural/language barriers | The community is mainly dependent on tourism as a primary source of income for the locals. Most of the locals living here are either illiterate or semi-illiterate. The people are dependent on showing their art, traditional practices, and selling artifacts for a living. The main challenge is the language barrier between English-speaking tourists and the locals. |
| Public perception of the group | The public views the traditional indigenous people as a core part of the community. Without them, the tourism business could not be a reality. Due to the is reason, the government provides infrastructural, social, and economic support to the group. |
| Common health risks | A factory was recently set up within the community. It is alleged that the mining factory followed all the government regulations and is supportive of the community by giving jobs. However, waste disposal and air pollution are likely to cause a significant long-term problem to the community if they are not addressed immediately. |
| Access to health and social services | This is a community off the grid, with no or limited health and social amenities, including health facilities. The nearest dependable health facility is at least 50 kilometers away. The government has provided clinics, but these are not sufficient for a significant population. |
Part 2: Provide information on the organization and person interviewed
Organization's name: World Health Organization (WHO)
URL of the organization's website: https://www.who.int/
The person interviewed: Doctor Margaret Chan
Interviewee's title and role in the organization: WHO Director-General
The email address of the person interviewed:
Provide a one-paragraph summary of the key takeaways from the interview.
The interview shows the impact of war in Congo on WHO efforts in terms of fighting Ebola. War has been a factor in weakening the government's capacity to provide the needed resources and to adhere to the WHO standards in containing and monitoring the virus. Some of the challenges WHO has experienced in fighting Ebola include dealing with fear amongst the WHO staff, poor access to interiors, high levels of illiteracy amongst the locals, and outbreaks in conflict areas. Despite these challenges, WHO has been very successful in controlling Ebola and delivering healthcare services to the local communities in Congo.
Submit digital audio or a transcribed version of the interview to Blackboard.
What are the main challenges you experience in Congo controlling Ebola?
The main challenge we experience is accessing the war-torn zones to provide the required medical services. The recent Ebola outbreaks mainly occurred in the war-torn zones in the DRC, and this brought new challenges to the WHO. It becomes almost impossible to access some victims. The staff is sometimes to force to walk long distances to reach the victims to avoid cross fire-exchange zones. The long-lasting conflicts also make the populations susceptible to Ebola because of poor sanitation, malnutrition, and displacement. The majority of the Congolese live in refugee camps, and this further exacerbates the situation.
How do you successfully create awareness in a war tone zone?
As WHO, we have not been very successful in creating awareness of the Ebola just because of the limited access to the regions. At some point, there was an outbreak in a community that conflicted. It was impossible accessing this region, and because it is impossible to educate people on the run, people in need of water and food, people in tension, it becomes difficult to control the disease.
Do you get support from Congo government? Talk about WHO capacity in dealing with Ebola in Congo
The Congolese government is not a stable one, and this contributes as a significant factor to reduced capacity to control Ebola effectively in Congo. There is precisely no capacity in respect to standard containment measures by the government in isolating the victims and detecting Ebola; tracing contacts and monitoring is also a problem.
Is fear a factor to deal with amongst the WHO personnel offering medical services to the communities in Congo?
Fear is one of the core factors we have to deal with as WHO. Fear causes the infected persons to run away from containment facilities and to run away from surveillance. Fear is a significant cause for families to keep quiet and hide their loved ones to void public humiliation. Sometimes families take Ebola-infected persons to the traditional doctors. Ebola also brings fear to the health workers, with over 200 WHO health workers infected and over 80 succumbing to the virus. Anxiety has also significantly impacted supplies and personnel transportation, with the drivers declining their duties to travel to war-torn zones and virus hot spots.
Is WHO fully transparent in managing its affairs?
Questions have risen before regarding the management and financial transparency in the WHO as currently constituted. WHO funding is purely achieved through donations. There are instances where WHO has failed to meet the donor's interest and pursue their interests.
What are your concluding remarks?
The role of WHO in Congo in regards to controlling Ebola is a special one. World Health Organization has successfully saved millions of lives in Congo, working together with well-wishers, governments, the international community, and several other stakeholders? Despite several challenges the organization has experienced, the successes cannot be downplayed. The measures already placed in Congo have borne fruits, with Congo not experiencing a bite from covid-19 as the rest of the world suffers.
