Assessing the effectiveness of a community intervention for monkeypox prevention in the Congo basin.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In areas where health resources are limited, community participation in the recognition and reporting of disease hazards is critical for the identification of outbreaks. This is particularly true for zoonotic diseases such as monkeypox that principally affect people living in remote areas with few health services. Here we report the findings of an evaluation measuring the effectiveness of a film-based community outreach program designed to improve the understanding of monkeypox symptoms, transmission and prevention, by residents of the Republic of the Congo (ROC) who are at risk for disease acquisition.

Methodology/principal findings

During 90 days, monkeypox outreach was conducted for ∼23,860 people in northern ROC. Two hundred seventy-one attendees (selected via

SUBMITTER: Roess AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3196471 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature