ASIAN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CENTER Public Health in Emergencies

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2 ASIAN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CENTER Public Health in Emergencies

3 Public Health in Emergencies(PHE) improving people s health by strengthening health emergency management

4 Disasters often result in significant impacts on people s health and cause the loss of many lives. Every new threat or disaster reveals the extent of challenges that remain in managing the health risks of disasters. ADPC s Public Health in Emergencies (PHE) team aims for improve health outcomes of communities at risk of emergencies and disasters. In collaboration with our partners, PHE develops and implements capacity building projects and training programs which address continuing and emerging challenges in health emergency management at regional, national, sub-national and community levels. PHE programs help to strengthen health emergency management systems by building relationships between health disciplines and by integrating the health sector into community-wide disaster management systems. PHE Activities ADPC offers training and capacity building programs across the breadth of health emergency management. We offer project services by drawing upon the collective expertise of PHE and other ADPC teams, and our extensive network of technical experts who apply their knowledge and experience in the development, delivery and review of joint projects. ADPC provides diverse quality learning opportunities for health managers, technical specialists, facilitators and community health workers to build their knowledge, skills and attitudes for managing health risks and public health consequences of disasters, communicable disease emergencies and conflict situations.

5 PHE Training Program and Projects With our institutional partners and an extensive network of health emergency management specialists, ADPC has developed and implemented training courses and projects in countries and communities around the world. PROGRAM FOR ENHANCEMET OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE The Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER) is a regional disaster preparedness training and capacity-building program funded by the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Now in its third stage ( ), PEER III is implemented by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in partnership with the American Red Cross (ARC) and the International Resource Group (IRG) that covers nine Asian countries. ADPC, as Prime for the community-based and hospital readiness components of PEER III, will lead program implementation for these components, bringing to bear its internal expertise and strong partnerships in the region. The American Red Cross (ARC) will serve as a key partner to ADPC in training at the community-level, adding technical assistance, resources and greater access to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent network. International Resources Group (IRG) will also play a pivotal role in providing staffing and as needed,

6 technical input from its disaster preparedness training experience in Latin America and the Caribbean Program Goal: The goal of the PEER program is to promote and enhance disaster preparedness and response capacities within the Asia region PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: Objective 1 of the program is to establish a system for enhanced community level first responder capacity in disaster prone communities in PEER s six core countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines) with possible expansion to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. The training will target local non-professional emergency responders in the form of a condensed course, drawing upon the core trainings from Stage II included Medical First Responder (MFR), Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR), Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE), and Training for Instructors (TFI) Objective 2: Continuation of the HOPE courses in the six PEER countries and extension of the HOPE courses to the three new PEER countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam). Objective 3: Continuation of current training in the six Stage II-countries on Medical First Responder (MFR) and Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR); this portion of the program will be implemented by NSET as part of a unified PEER III program. PROGRAM COUNTRIES Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam

7 Inter regional and National Public Health and Emergency Management in Asia & the Pacific (PHEMAP) course. These courses focus on improving the management and coordination abilities of public health emergency managers in their roles as risk managers, program managers, operations managers and leaders. ADPC has also conducted the First National PHEMAP Course Coordinators workshop to strengthen the linkages between the Interregional and National PHEMAP courses and provides support for national PHEMAP courses in Asia. REGIONAL PHEMAP FRAMEWORK

8 Public Health in Complex Emergencies (PHCE) course is designed for health personnel working with refugees and internally displaced persons in complex emergencies. The course that focuses on critical public health issues faced by NGO/PVO personnel working in complex emergencies. The goal of the course is to enhance the capacity of humanitarian assistance workers and their organizations to respond to the health needs of refugees and internally displaced persons affected by these emergencies. Participants will master key competencies in all of the following sectors: Context of Emergencies Epidemiology Communicable Disease Environmental Health Nutrition Reproductive Health Weapons, Violence and Trauma Protection and Security Psychosocial Issues Coordination Hospital Emergency Preparedness & Response (HEPR) course assists health service managers and medical personnel with health facility planning and managing large numbers of casualties. The HEPR Course is designed to assist health personnel, both administrative and medical, to prepare health care facilities and personnel to respond effectively to internal or community emergencies that involve large numbers of casualties. This will enable hospitals and health facilities in general to develop well designed facility-specific plans to increase their ability to respond to emergencies.

9 Exercise Management Program ASEAN+3 Emerging Infectious Disease Program Recent infectious disease outbreaks have demonstrated the need to prepare effectively for communicable disease emergencies. Emergency preparedness is essential in the face of known and unknown risks that may cause severe disruption to health, society, economics and the environment. Emerging infectious diseases, such as avian influenza and the potential for a human influenza pandemic, have created a need for warning and alerting systems, training, emergency plans and exercises. Without an actual outbreak of such a disease, or other type of emergency, it is difficult to be sure that systems, training and plans are welltargeted and appropriate. Simulation exercises can test these plans and systems, and increase awareness and reinforce training.

10 Exercises have taken place in ASEAN countries at national, provincial, community, cross border and regional levels. ASEAN countries will conduct more exercises to develop and test response plans, in particular, for avian and human influenza. As there is limited experience in conducting exercises among health and animal health communities in ASEAN countries, there is a need for capacity-building and training courses in the management of exercises, and for sharing of knowledge and experiences in exercise management by human health, animal health and other sectors. The Community Level Basic Emergency Response Course (C BERC) is a training program designed to enhance the capacity of the community to respond to emergencies and disasters. The program educates the community to be aware of the different hazards and trains them in lifesaving skills so that they are better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. The purpose of the program is to provide citizens with the basic skills required to handle virtually all their own needs and then to be able to respond to the needs of the community in the aftermath of a disaster. Basic Emergency Response Course (BERC) which combines training of trainers and community level training to build health and medical emergency response capability in communities (associated with ADPC projects on Urban Disaster Risk Management). Management of the Dead and the Missing in Disasters (MDM) workshop addresses the multisectoral dimensions of managing missing persons and dead bodies, such as disaster

11 victim identification, management of health risks, cultural traditions for burials, and psychosocial support for relatives. The program addresses the multi-sectoral dimensions of managing missing persons and dead bodies, such as disaster victim identification, management of health risks, cultural traditions for burials, and psychosocial support for relatives Epidemic and pandemic preparedness Strengthening Community based Management of Avian and Human Influenza, a knowledge generation project, with our partners in the AHI-NGO-RC/RC Partnership, namely CARE, IFRC and IRC The AHI-NGO-RC/RC Asia Partnership, comprising the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), CARE, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), invites all individuals and organisations involved in community-based management of AHI in the Asia region to take part in the project on Strengthening Community Based Approaches to Management of Avian and Human Influenza in Asia. Health Care Facility Emergency Preparedness and Response to Epidemics and Pandemics (HCF-EPREP) which strengthens health care facility emergency planning for communicable disease emergencies, with a focus on pandemic influenza Emerging Zoonotic Diseases which focuses on the development and testing of tools for assessing risk and capacity assessment tools. Development of a training package for managing health risks of deliberate use of biological, chemical and radiological agents (BCR) Key funding partners The PHE team acknowledges the financial and in-kind support from many national government, international,

12 academic, private sector and non-government organizations. In recent years, the following donors have supported PHE projects: APEC, ASEAN & Kenan Institute Asia (Exercise Management) Asian Development Bank (Community based AHI) AusAID (Emerging Zoonotic Diseases, Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Program) Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (PHEMAP) Royal Government of Norway (PHEMAP) Rockefeller Foundation (Zoonotic Diseases) USAID (Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response Public Health in Complex Emergencies, Psychosocial Support, Exercise Management) Other Short Term Activities and Projects Scoping study on the psychosocial and disaster mental capacities and capacity development activities in Asia Nutrition of Children and Mothers in Disasters (NCMD) course which enables participants to train other health staff on managing nutritional needs in disasters. Disasters and Development (D&D) course for health and development professionals and focusing on integrating health emergency risk management and sustainable development. WHO Fellowships and study tours for senior health officials from the regions, eg. Myanmar, DPR Korea. Key partners In addition to our donor partners, the PHE team has consolidated long-standing partnerships and continues to

13 develop relationships with organizations working in public health. In addition to the program activities listed above, the following formal partnership agreements have been established: PHEMAP: MoU between WHO-SEARO, WHO-WPRO and ADPC was extended in June 2006 for 3 years. Public Health in Complex Emergencies: a MoU was signed by ADPC, American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Institute of Public Health, Makerere University (Uganda), International Rescue Committee and World Education Inc. Thammasat University: a MoU was signed with the new Faculty of Public Health at Thammasat University, Thailand. ADPC is a partner with CARE, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Rescue Committee in the AHI-NGO-RC/RC Asia Partnership. PHE has also built relationships with Ministries of Health and UN organizations (including FAO, UNICEF and all levels of WHO - WHO country offices, WPRO, SEARO, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and with WHO Headquarters in Geneva). The PHE team is also working closely with NGOs, other Ministries and schools of public health. Key project countries The PHE team has welcomed participants to our training courses from over 25 countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, Pacific and the Americas. Our recent projects have focused on Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia and Vietnam.

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