A holistic approach to strategic empowerment of vulnerable communities

By giving members of underserved communities a voice in the preparedness process, TEAM EMCP can better understand the existing risks and gaps that have not been identified by our standard means of assessment. Working directly with community leaders, EMCP leaders can assist in finding appropriate preparedness and response resources that can benefit every community member. This includes creating resources in appropriate languages, softening communication barriers, and providing preparedness guidance designed to fill the gaps identified in a community by its members. This level of empowerment strengthens the community and healthcare delivery systems by being fully inclusive. By empowering community members to be better prepared, the surge on community resources due to panic is reduced, confidence in the community support structure is increased, and access to pertinent information using multiple communication strategies is increased.