As soon as the alert is sounded, an outbreak management committee responsible for organising the response is created or reactivated at each level.
The role of the committee is to define the strategies, organise free care, coordinate the partners, monitor implementation, draw up the projected budget and prepare the evaluation of the response.
A reliable data entry and transmission system is essential to detecting the outbreak, monitoring its course and orienting the response.
Epidemiological data analysis is done each week at all levels.
Information and social mobilisation are implemented as soon as the outbreak is confirmed (without waiting for laboratory confirmation).
A broad range of media should be used to transmit messages.
Patient care is decentralised to shorten the time between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment.
Treatment is free of charge.
Both outpatients and inpatients should have a special patient flow circuit that reduces their contact with other patients.
The distribution of treatment kits facilitates supply.
Treatments should be available at all health care facilities throughout the outbreak. Regular monitoring of treatment availability allows supply planning.
Analysing the specific attack rates by age group and location helps determine which areas to vaccinate first and the age of the target population.
The choice of outbreak response vaccination strategy is guided by the risk of spread of the epidemic.
Emergency vaccination campaign preparation should take no more than two weeks.
The earlier outbreak response is implemented, the greater its impact will be.