ABSTRACT
‘Biological hazard' is regarded as a major human security threat to people's well-being and development. In the era of globalisation and rapid technological development, COVID-19 pandemic once again revealed how an emerging communicable disease might impact not only health but also the socioeconomic ecology of people globally, while the related health risk can be mitigated by the employment of appropriate technology. The chapter examines how the latest World Health Organization Health-EDRM framework (2019) may inform the conceptualisation and assessment of health risks and proposes a Health-EDRM assessments framework for biological hazard. A case study of how health risks and vulnerability associated with home care may be reduced by employing technology in non-standard living context during pandemic and a case study of community resilience and community engagement are also included. The discussion also puts Health-EDRM framework into a human security perspective. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer 2022.
ABSTRACT
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 placed human health at the centre of disaster risk reduction, calling for the global community to enhance local and national health emergency and disaster risk management (Health EDRM). The Health EDRM Framework, published in 2019, describes the functions required for comprehensive disaster risk management across prevention, preparedness, readiness, response, and recovery to improve the resilience and health security of communities, countries, and health systems. Evidence-based Health EDRM workforce development is vital. However, there are still significant gaps in the evidence identifying common competencies for training and education programmes, and the clarification of strategies for workforce retention, motivation, deployment, and coordination. Initiated in June 2020, this project includes literature reviews, case studies, and an expert consensus (modified Delphi) study. Literature reviews in English, Japanese, and Chinese aim to identify research gaps and explore core competencies for Health EDRM workforce training. Thirteen Health EDRM related case studies from six WHO regions will illustrate best practices (and pitfalls) and inform the consensus study. Consensus will be sought from global experts in emergency and disaster medicine, nursing, public health and related disciplines. Recommendations for developing effective health workforce strategies for low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries will then be disseminated.
Subject(s)
Disaster Medicine , Disaster Planning , Disasters , Emergencies , Health Workforce , HumansABSTRACT
In response to the increasing burden of recent health emergencies and disasters, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners established the WHO thematic platform for health emergency and disaster risk management research network (health EDRM RN) in 2016, with the purposes of promoting global research collaboration among various stakeholders and enhancing research activities that generate evidence to manage health risks associated with all types of emergencies and disasters. With the strong support and involvement of all WHO regional offices, the health EDRM RN now works with more than 200 global experts and partners to implement its purposes. The 1st and 2nd Core Group Meetings of the health EDRM RN were held on 17-18 October 2019 and 27 November 2020, respectively, to discuss the development of a global research agenda that the health EDRM RN will focus on facilitating, promoting, synthesizing and implementing, taking into account the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (health EDRM RN research agenda). A focus of the meetings was the establishment of an online platform to share information and knowledge, including the databases that the health EDRM RN accumulates (WHO health EDRM knowledge hub). This paper presents a summary of the discussion results of the meetings.