Emergency & Disaster response Programme
Health services capacity to respond to unexpected events, through planning, preparedness, response and recovery, is crucial to ensure continued care to the population during crisis or emergencies. Strengthening the response capacity is essential particularly when faced with the threat of an influenza pandemic.
The development and improvement of health facilities’ response plans, as well as the development of protocols and tools, will increase the quality of the emergency response. This section systematizes lessons learned in the Region, as well as presents documents and publications on improving health facilities’ response in emergency situations.
Technical Guide for Mental Health in Emergency and Disaster Situations
Emergency and disaster situations can lead to an increase in psychosocial problems and mental disorders. The horror experienced, the losses suffered, the uncertainty, and other numerous stressors related to a traumatic event put people at higher risk of suffering from and being affected by mental health issues. Psychosocial support consists not only in health service provision, but also involves broad support (including family and community support). These diverse kinds of support require coordination, in which health services must play a central role
The community mental health model- which respects local traditions and cultural diversity and addresses the necessities of the most vulnerable groups- must be the platform for all emergency interventions. The aim is to promote and protect the mental health of the population, and to contribute to the recovery of daily life. This document presents technical guidelines, based on the evidence, for the planning and implementation of psychosocial and mental health interventions in emergency and disaster situations