Development of a Public Health Emergency Response Model for Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand, Following the Transfer of Primary Health Care Services to Provincial Administrative Organizations.

Abstract

Abstract

            Continuous outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in Maha Sarakham Province, coupled with the context of transferring all 175 Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals (SHPHs) to the Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), have posed significant challenges to the local public health emergency response system. This action research aimed to 1) examine factors influencing the public health emergency response, and 2) develop a new response model for subdistrict and district levels tailored to this new context. The PAOR (Plan-Action-Observation-Reflection) process was employed with 130 participants involved in emergency response. Data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.

            The findings revealed that key influencing factors under the new administrative context include the command structure, personnel competency, surveillance data systems, and risk communication. The primary outcome was the development of the “6S ICE DAL Model,” a novel emergency response framework that integrates the 2P2R principles (Preparedness, Prevention, Response, Recovery) into the PAO's context. This model emphasizes key components across four dimensions: Preparedness (EOC structure, incident action plans), Prevention (proactive surveillance, risk communication), Response (SRRT capacity, data centers), and Recovery (lesson learned, evaluation). The developed model serves as a crucial guideline for strengthening the unity and effectiveness of the local public health emergency response system following health service decentralization.

Keywords : Public health emergency response, Model development, Mosquito-borne infectious diseases