Credit: Getty Images/Poravute | Close up of Aedes Aegypti Mosquito resting on the leaf in garden with copy space. Aedes is a genus of mosquitoes transmit serious diseases, including dengue fever, yellow fever, the Zika virus and chikungunya.

Zika's Silent Threat: Prioritized Behaviors are Key to Preventing Future Outbreaks of Aedes aegypti-borne Diseases

22 Jul 2019

This post was originally published by Breakthrough ACTION + RESEARCH.

Zika sent waves of panic through the Americas in 2015 and 2016 when the little-known virus was linked to serious birth defects and other neurological disorders.

At the height of the Zika epidemic, Brazil was the hardest hit, with more than 200,000 cases reported and more than 3,500 babies born with microcephaly or other malformations related to the virus.

Even though the mosquito-borne illness is no longer making headlines as a global health emergency, the virus remains a threat and has the…

Fostering Knowledge brief

Fostering Knowledge to Combat Zika

20 Jun 2019

The very nature of an outbreak compels speed over completeness, because the ability to act quickly and decisively in these contexts can have life-changing consequences for affected communities. Available knowledge is rapidly distributed, updated, and redistributed, and—with a multitude of actors responding to the outbreak—communication of vitally important information can be uncoordinated or disjointed. During the Zika response, the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project drew from its expertise on knowledge management approaches to ensure implementing partners shared the same…

Recap: Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies

Recap: Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies

17 Jun 2019

On June 11, 2019, USAID and the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project hosted “Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies” in Washington DC. Panelists shared effective practices and lessons learned from the USAID Zika response and discussed their applicability to future outbreak responses. Scroll through the executive summary of the event to see an overview of the topics discussed.

Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies

Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies

21 May 2019

USAID and the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project invite you to “Learning from Zika: Lessons for future public health emergencies” in Washington DC on June 11, 2019.

The Zika outbreak in Latin America and the Caribbean was sudden, unexpected, and left a lasting public health impact that continues to affect communities. In April, country representatives from 18 partner organizations across 14 countries met to critically reflect on the most effective approaches from the USAID-funded Zika outbreak response from 2016-2019. The “Learning from Zika” event will build on these…

CCP interviewed Jamaicans to help develop tailored interventions designed to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.

Taking Aim at Zika (and Other Mosquito-Borne Illnesses)

16 May 2019

This piece was originally published by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

When the Zika outbreak was in full swing in 2015 and 2016, a panic set in. Zika, which had been virtually unknown before, was being linked to birth defects in babies born to mothers who were infected by mosquitoes carrying the virus. Organizations around the world, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, set out to develop ways to prevent its spread and keep people – especially pregnant women – safe from Zika.

It’s a different climate now but over the past six…

ZAP Vector Control and Environmental Compliance Manager Kerri-Ann Guyah readies her team for daily operations.

Zika Fighter: Kerri-Ann Guyah

04 Mar 2019

This post was originally published by the Zika AIRS Project.

Kingston, Jamaica: A graduate from the University of West Indies with a Bachelor of Science in Experimental Biology and a Master of Science in Forensic Science, Kerri-Ann Guyah has built her career in environmental health and safety. As ZAP Jamaica’s Vector Control and Environmental Compliance Manager for the Zika AIRS Project (ZAP), Guyah recently talked about her experience with Zika and her role on the project. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development, ZAP helps countries to tackle Zika and…

At 19 years old, ZAP Vector Control Supervisor Ajae Wilson is gaining people management skills and supervisor experience through his job, increasing his income opportunities for the future. Photo by: Laura McCarty/Abt Associates

Skills for Success

25 Feb 2019
ZAP Jamaica Provides Youth Income Opportunities, Job Skills

This post was originally published by the Zika AIRS Project.

Finding a job in Jamaica is not easy. For someone under the age of 25 with minimal skills, the task can be daunting. In fact, the Caribbean has one of the world’s highest rates of unemployment among youth age 15-24, with Jamaica at 22.2 percent in July 2018, according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica. So when Ajae Wilson landed a job with the United States Agency for International Development’s Zika AIRS Project (ZAP) in 2018 as a Vector Control…

Ametto Speid (right) with his mother and brother. All three suffered from chikungunya. “We learned a lot from them (ZAP technicians),” said Ametto. Since this program started, hardly anyone has been affected by disease carried by mosquitoes.” Photos by: Laura McCarty/Abt Associates

The Fruits of ZAP Jamaica

19 Feb 2019
ZAP Goes Beyond Mosquito Control, Building Community through Household Visits

This post was originally published by the Zika AIRS Project.

With lush green forest and crystal blue waters lapping white sand beaches, Jamaica seems like an easy place to live by reggae king Bob Marley’s lyrics “don’t worry about a thing.” But things aren’t always worry-free. In fact, when the mosquito-borne Zika virus broke out in 2016 not long after the chikungunya virus epidemic that sickened more than 70 percent of the tropical island’s population, people were absolutely worrying.

Ametto…

Understanding Perceptions and Practices Related to Zika Prevention

Webinar: Understanding Perceptions and Practices Related to Zika Prevention

14 Feb 2019

UPDATE: If you missed the webinar or would like to watch it again, you can now view the recording and download the slides.

Since the onset of Zika in Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID and implementing partners have worked to protect families by reducing the risk of new Zika infections. In order to raise awareness about Zika and promote key Zika prevention behaviors, it is helpful for researchers, program managers, and other public health professionals to understand who is carrying out these key behaviors and how perceptions about the behaviors could affect their practice. In…

© Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO)

A Teacher Champions Zika Prevention

13 Feb 2019

This post was originally published by PSI.

It was near the end of the school year and the halls of the Santa Ana Middle School and High School were uncharacteristically quiet. In the cool and dim library, only one student was reading in silence with his headphones over his ears. It was there where Dino Alfonzo greeted us, wearing a warm smile, a grey t-shirt and jeans.

The 47-year-old science and biology teacher is described as “the best teacher in school” by his students and was recently named a “Zika champion” by PSI’s network member, the Pan American Social Marketing…