First Nations communities have long relied on their own knowledge, practices and relationships to protect health and wellness. Today, those approaches continue to play an essential role in planning for and responding to communicable diseases.
The Communicable Disease Emergency (CDE) Response Toolkit is a practical guide developed to support First Nations health service providers in preparing for and managing communicable disease events. It is designed to complement community knowledge, not replace it, and support decision-making, priority setting, and preparedness.
What the toolkit is for
The CDE Response Toolkit is intended for people working in First Nations health service settings, including:
- Community Health Nurses
- Health Directors
- Other health staff in First Nations health service settings
It supports teams in collaborative planning for communicable disease mitigation, response, and recovery at the community level.
What the toolkit does
The CDE Response Toolkit helps First Nations teams:
- Understand why planning for communicable disease events is important
- Prepare for potential outbreaks
- Respond in a coordinated way
- Maintain essential health services during emergencies
- Plan for recovery
The guide includes a structured planning template that communities can adapt to their own needs, priorities and strengths.
Supporting community-led planning
The toolkit is a structured guide meant to work alongside existing community emergency plans. It provides additional guidance to help reduce infection risk, protect community members and support service continuity during communicable disease events.
At its core, the toolkit recognizes that community knowledge and leadership are essential to effective response planning. This includes:
- Integrating cultural practices such as traditional healing, ceremony and prayer
- Building strong relationships within and across communities to support coordinated responses
- Recognizing and respecting First Nations jurisdiction over public health response and decision-making
Access the Toolkit
The Communicable Disease Emergency Response Guide and Toolkit for First Nations Health Service Settings are available here: Communicable Disease Emergency Response Planning.
Need Support?
This template is part of a range of integrated supports that Communities can access across FNHA Provincial and Regional teams in order to build a plan that works best for them.
For questions or requests related to CDE response planning, contact:
cdmgmt@fnha.ca or your regional team.
