Global Health Security Agenda Implementation: A Case for Community Engagement

Abstract

In today's interconnected world, infectious diseases can spread rapidly within and between countries. The 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone underscored the inability of countries with limited capacities and weak public health systems to respond effectively to outbreaks. To mitigate future health threats, nations and international organizations launched the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to accelerate compliance with the WHO's International Health Regulations, so as to enhance global protection from infectious disease threats. To advance GHSA's mandate to build capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases, and thereby contain threats at their source, community engagement is needed. This article advocates for community engagement in GHSA implementation, using examples from 3 GHSA action packages. A country's ability to prevent a local disease outbreak from becoming an epidemic often rests with the level of knowledge about the situation and the actions taken at the community level.