Blog

The Zika Communication Network will be publishing a series of success stories from the Zika AIRS Project (ZAP). This is the first in the series.

On the tropical island of Jamaica, mosquitoes are more than a nuisance. They carry diseases that can affect the health and economic well-being of the entire population. In October 2017, the USAID-funded Zika AIRS Project (ZAP) launched its Jamaica program in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the University of the West Indies to monitor and reduce mosquito populations across…

Join the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and USAID for Stories From the Frontline: Fighting Zika. Hear scientists and public health workers share their experiences unraveling and stopping the 2015 Zika pandemic. You’ll hear from those on the frontline of virus response and prevention and have a chance to talk with them about the current status of Zika preparedness. Their stories of innovative strategies, cross-border collaborations, and cutting edge research—from tracing the virus to fighting mosquitoes and searching for a treatment—will reveal the importance of working…

In June and July, the Community Action on Zika (CAZ) project held a series of training of trainer (TOT) refresher workshops in four CAZ countries (Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, El Salvador). The trainings were led by the CAZ project, with support in curriculum development and facilitation by Breakthrough ACTION. The workshops were aimed at project community technicians with the goal of updating knowledge around the key Zika behaviors, exchanging experiences and lessons learned, strengthening capacities, and providing tools that contribute to improving daily work.

The…

On April 24th, 2018, USAID and the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project hosted a three-day share fair event in Antigua, Guatemala for USAID-funded community engagement partners in the Zika response in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over 70 people attended from over 10 countries in the region, representing Ministries of Health and 16 partner organizations. Scroll through the executive summary of the event to learn more about what was discussed and see photos from the event.

El 24 de abril de 2018, USAID y el Proyecto de Conocimiento para la Salud (K4Health)…

Due to the potential risks posed to a baby if exposed to Zika during pregnancy, prenatal care appointments offer an invaluable opportunity to talk to women about Zika and provide them with practical protection measures, like condoms, and information about Zika so that they will have the knowledge and resources to implement home and personal practices to prevent both vector and sexual transmission of the virus. However, making changes to way prenatal care is delivered poses challenges.

Join us on July 5th at noon EST (Washington, D.C.) for a discussion of some of the key lessons…

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

More than just a pest, mosquitoes are the world’s most dangerous animal.

Despite their diminutive size, mosquitoes spread deadly diseases that affect more than half of the world’s population and lead to billions of dollars in economic losses each year. From endemic malaria to outbreaks of yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue and Zika, mosquitoes require a global response. Health communication must be a part of that response.

To that end, nearly 100 international experts came…

IFRC Americas Regional Office announces the launch of a new tool for volunteers that implement activities of psychosocial support in communities affected by the Zika virus.

The guide “Guía de apoyo psicosocial en Zika para el voluntariado” (Volunteers’ guide for psychosocial support on Zika) and its toolkit “Caja de herramientas de apoyo psicosocial y Zika” (Toolkit for psychosocial support and Zika) provide element to analyse, plan and implement strategies and actions to protect and improve the mental health and psychosocial welfare of persons, families and communities affected by…

The Leadership in Strategic Communication Workshop

A Unique and Transformational Learning Experience for Communication Professionals

July 8-27, 2018 | Baltimore, MD

The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) invites you to attend the Leadership in Strategic Communication Workshop (LSCW). The three-week workshop is designed for communication professionals who want hands-on experience developing culturally relevant social and behavior change interventions guided by experts in the field of behavior change.

You will learn how to:

Infants and children with congenital syndrome associated with Zika virus (CSaZ) often face a host of neurological, motor and learning problems along with hearing and vision problems, with serious eye damage. The Zika virus can cause irreversible injury in the ocular retina, affecting the macula and the optic nerve and causing severe visual impairment in babies born with microcephaly, as revealed by studies conducted by the Altino Ventura Foundation (FAV), in Pernambuco, Brazil, in association with the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).

Pernambuco, in the north of Brazil,…

On April 24, 2018, USAID and the Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project hosted a three-day share fair in Antigua, Guatemala for community engagement partners. A share fair is a participatory event—usually focused on a single topic—that promotes learning from participants' experiences to improve their work. The focus of the event was for community engagement partners to learn from one another; share knowledge, tools, and resources; brainstorm solutions to common challenges; forge connections to strengthen the USAID Zika response; and identify specific opportunities to strengthen country…