Community-based Surveillance (CBS) is a participation strategy for the community and various social actors. It looks to empower the community to identify its health conditions, risk factors and most vulnerable groups.

Watch a video on CBS in Panama

Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) is a participation mechanism and a commitment to provide communities with timely, accurate and actionable information, in order to save and improve lives. It also looks to promote dialogue and twoway communication by constructing a trusting environment with and among communities.

See how we share key messages with communities in this video

We have an extensive library of materials from community engagement produced throughout the region.

Plus, watch this cartoon on how to protect yourself from the Zika virus, created by the Bolivian Red Cross.

“For the Mosquitoes, You Are the Main Attraction”; with this message the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent promoted a Zika Virus prevention campaign during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

To prevent the spread of the Zika Virus, volunteers from the Brazilian Red Cross mobilized to distribute mosquito repellent, leaflets and condoms both to international travelers and local population with a special focus on pregnant women, the elderly and children.

The campaign reached over 1 MILLION people.

Watch a video summary of the campaign:

The main goal in vector control is to reduce the mosquito population, avoid breeding sites and prevent vector contact with humans. The area looks at both biological interventions and socio-cultural aspects related to vector control.

Here is what taking action against mosquitoes looks like in El Salvador

Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya Prevention Toolkit

The Zika virus can severely affect communities in many ways. Individuals and families who face neurological complications associated with the virus may be vulnerable because of social stigma and discrimination, which leads to further anguish and isolation. Actions in Psychosocial Support (PSS) help alleviate these potential issues.

Learn this woman's story from Paraguay - her baby was born with Microcephaly as a result of the Zika virus

The Zika Operation, with support from the Reference Center for Institutional Disaster Preparedness (CREPD) and the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Reference Centre (CADRIM), develops training tools to allow National Societies (NSs) and the IFRC to improve the quality of their actions with volunteers and communities.

Watch the overview of our online course on the Zika Virus (Spanish)

Zika Operation Dashboard

The dashboard allows the operation to visualize the general state of programs and actions, integrating the strategic and operational perspectives to support decision making processes.