DERC British Army Ebola Response Maj Leigh Skelton

DERC British Army Ebola Response Maj Leigh Skelton QARANC Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

Sierra Leone

DISTRICT EBOLA RESPONSE CENTRE l Established by the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) to help engage and empower a local/district response to the Ebola emergency in Sierra Leone. l DFID led, predominantly UK funded l Supported by the British Military and RSLAF l Many NGO’s input – Save the Children, UNISEF, UNMEER, WHO, MSF, Red Cross/Red Crescent + many more l DERC’s in place in ALL districts of SL where significant EVD outbreaks occurred Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

The FIVE PILLARS of RESPONSE l ALERTS l SURVEILLANCE l CASE MANAGEMENT l BURIALS l PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOC MOBILISATION Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

ALERTS l Call centre – up to 4 people l Take alerts for suspect/sick and ALL dead l Take calls for advice when 117 calls not accessible l Record for national database Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

SURVEILLANCE FUNCTIONS l ASSESSMENT – ascertaining case definition met – Case Management Team case definition not met – monitored in place or at Community Care Centre (CCC) l CONTACT TRACING – several mobile teams are required for each District e. g. 8 teams of 8 personnel for Bombali District. l QUARANTINE – including provision of food l DECONTAMINATION - new UK funded teams Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

CASE MANAGEMENT l Conveyance – arranges appropriate transport from home to Holding Centres if individuals meet case definition, then from HC to Treatment Unit if confirmed, or home if negative l Provides the point of contact/link between Treatment Centre and relatives/family for confirmed cases l Ensures seamless handover to Psychosocial Pillar prior to discharge l Key to the work of Community Care Centres (CCC’s) and Holding Centres Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

BURIALS l Tasked to complete ‘safe and dignified burials’ for ALL death alerts within 24 hours including those from EVDTU’s – full PPE and all transport precautions l Take swabs from all corpses (special training given) l Grave diggers function separately and ahead of the Burial Team l Strict SOP’s - teams directed and supervised by RSLAF Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

PSYCHSOCIAL/SOCIAL MOBILISATION l Community engagement in the ‘fight’ – Paramount Chiefs, Elders, Head Women, Scouts, youth organisations, teachers and senior business people e. g. education on safe burials, hygiene etc l Dealing with stigma and alienation to ensure suspect sufferers and survivors are not victimised e. g. houses burnt when individuals are in treatment. l Arrange for on going help for survivors and ensure they understand the risks of them infecting others e. g. sexual transmission Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade

The British Military Input l The British Armed Services are well respected in SL and have played a key role in the training of RSLAF therefore: l Well placed to organise and bring order/discipline to the running of the DERC Pillars – a very new and quite complex way of working in SL l Monitor and help govern the effective use of UK funds l Are able to engage the public very quickly as past reputation had won hearts & minds Headquarters 2 nd Medical Brigade