Disease Prevention and Control

Reducing the incidence, transmission, and impact of communicable and epidemic-prone diseases through integrated public health interventions.

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OVERVIEW

GIMPACS recognizes that preventing disease is one of the most effective and sustainable ways to improve public health and build resilient communities. Our Disease Prevention and Control Programme reduces the incidence, transmission, and impact of communicable and epidemic-prone diseases through integrated public health interventions, community engagement, health systems strengthening, and multi-sectoral collaboration.

We adopt a One Health, community-centred, and evidence-based approach that addresses the interconnected risks affecting human, animal, and environmental health — strengthening surveillance systems, promoting healthy behaviours, enhancing preparedness, and supporting rapid response mechanisms.

Our interventions align with national public health policies, the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), and SDG 3.

Strategic Objectives

Strengthen community and health facility capacity for early detection, reporting, and response to disease outbreaks.
Promote healthy behaviours that reduce the transmission of communicable diseases.
Enhance community resilience through effective risk communication and public health awareness.
Improve infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities and communities.
Reduce vector-borne diseases through integrated environmental and community-based interventions.
Increase access to and uptake of life-saving vaccination services.
Improve water quality, sanitation, and hygiene practices to prevent waterborne diseases.
Strengthen coordination and partnerships for emergency preparedness and public health response.

Implementation Strategies and Approaches

Community-Based Disease Surveillance

Strategy: Strengthen community-led surveillance systems that enable early detection, reporting, verification, and response to priority diseases and public health events.

Our Approach:

Training Community Health Volunteers, informants, and local leaders to identify and report priority diseases.
Strengthening event-based and indicator-based surveillance with government disease surveillance officers.
Supporting digital and paper-based disease reporting systems to improve timeliness and data quality.
Establishing community alert mechanisms for rapid notification of suspected outbreaks.
Conducting regular surveillance supervision and data quality assessments.
Using surveillance findings to guide rapid response, preparedness planning, and programming.

Health Education and Behaviour Change

Strategy: Promote sustained adoption of healthy behaviours through evidence-based health promotion, community education, and behaviour change interventions.

Our Approach:

Designing culturally appropriate health education campaigns using local languages and context-specific messages.
Conducting community dialogues, awareness sessions, school health programmes, and household visits.
Developing BCC materials including posters, radio messages, community theatre, and digital media.
Engaging religious leaders, traditional leaders, youth groups, and women associations as community champions.
Promoting hand hygiene, sanitation, safe food handling, and environmental cleanliness.
Monitoring behavioural outcomes to continuously improve communication strategies.

Risk Communication and Community Engagement

Strategy: Strengthen public trust and community participation through timely, transparent, and evidence-based communication before, during, and after public health emergencies.

Our Approach:

Developing community-centred risk communication strategies based on local perceptions and information needs.
Disseminating accurate and timely public health information through multiple communication channels.
Conducting rumor tracking, social listening, and misinformation management.
Establishing community feedback and accountability mechanisms.
Working with media organizations and community influencers to amplify verified public health messages.
Promoting two-way communication that allows communities to ask questions and participate in decisions.

Infection Prevention and Control

Strategy: Strengthen infection prevention and control practices across healthcare facilities, institutions, and communities to reduce healthcare-associated infections and disease transmission.

Our Approach:

Training healthcare workers on national and international IPC standards and protocols.
Supporting healthcare facilities to establish functional IPC committees where appropriate.
Promoting proper hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and safe patient care practices.
Supporting triage systems during outbreaks to reduce transmission risks.
Improving availability and rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Conducting IPC supportive supervision and quality improvement initiatives.

Integrated Vector Control

Strategy: Reduce the burden of vector-borne diseases through integrated environmental management, community participation, and evidence-based vector control interventions.

Our Approach:

Community-led environmental sanitation campaigns to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
Health education on vector prevention and household protection measures.
Distribution and promotion of insecticide-treated mosquito nets through government programmes and partners.
Supporting indoor residual spraying and larviciding initiatives where appropriate.
Strengthening surveillance of vector-borne diseases and environmental risk factors.
Collaborating with environmental health authorities to improve waste management and drainage.

Immunization Support

Strategy: Increase immunization coverage by strengthening routine immunization systems, supporting outreach services, and improving community confidence in vaccines.

Our Approach:

Supporting microplanning and outreach vaccination services for underserved populations.
Mobilizing caregivers and communities to access routine and supplementary immunization services.
Conducting community education to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
Supporting defaulter tracking and follow-up through community health volunteers.
Training health workers and volunteers on vaccine communication and demand generation.
Coordinating with government immunization programmes during national and emergency campaigns.

Waterborne Disease Prevention

Strategy: Reduce the transmission of waterborne diseases through integrated WASH interventions, environmental health measures, and community behaviour change.

Our Approach:

Supporting safe water supply systems and household water treatment interventions.
Conducting routine water quality surveillance and monitoring.
Promoting household water treatment and safe storage practices.
Implementing hygiene promotion campaigns focused on handwashing with soap at critical times.
Supporting sanitation improvements and safe waste disposal in collaboration with communities.
Deploying Case Area Targeted Interventions (CATI) during cholera and AWD outbreaks.

Cross-Cutting Implementation Approaches

Evidence-Based Programming: interventions informed by epidemiological data, surveillance findings, and public health risk assessments.
Community Ownership and Participation: local leadership, volunteers, and civil society empowered to sustain disease prevention efforts.
Health Systems Strengthening: GIMPACS builds health worker capacity and reinforces government-led service delivery rather than parallel structures.
Multi-Sectoral Collaboration: coordination across WASH, Nutrition, Education, Agriculture, Environment, and Protection.
Emergency Preparedness and Response: trained personnel and contingency planning enable rapid support during outbreaks.
Equity, Inclusion, and Do No Harm: conflict-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and gender-responsive programming.
Learning, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement: lessons learned and best practices strengthen future programming.

Expected Outcomes

Stronger community-based disease surveillance and early warning systems.
Increased adoption of healthy behaviours and preventive practices.
Improved preparedness and rapid response to disease outbreaks.
Reduced transmission of communicable, vector-borne, and waterborne diseases.
Higher immunization coverage and community confidence in vaccines.
Strengthened infection prevention and control in health facilities and communities.
More resilient communities and health systems capable of preventing and responding to public health threats.

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