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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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…