Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 1

Module 1: Humanitarian Disasters and Public Health

In this module we will define what we mean by disasters, hazards, risks and vulnerabilities We look at patterns and trends and understand the role of public health in disasters

There are many humanitarian actors that play a role in a disaster This module describes many of them and also looks at various coordination models that are used

Module 3: Water and Sanitation

This module describes the burden of, and mechanisms of, sanitation and water-related diseases in humanitarian crises We also illustrate the various strategies and priorities that can be used to reduce outbreaks of those diseases

Module 4: Livelihoods and Food Security in Humanitarian Crises

Disasters affect livelihoods. This module illustrates how and what livelihoods strategies families use to cope with a crisis. We also describe what food security entails and ways to assess it We look at various livelihoods support programs that can be used in disaster settings

Module 5: Nutrition in Humanitarian Crises

This module looks at who is at risk to become malnourished in a disaster context and why that is the case We will describe various types of malnutrition, the treatment and various preventative actions

Module 6: Management of Diseases in Humanitarian Crises

This module examines the patterns of disease in affected populations We will understand how the changes in population characteristics as well as life styles have changed the nature of the burden of disease populations from that of predominantly communicable to a pattern of non communicable diseases

Module 7: Health Care in Humanitarian Emergencies

Disasters put special strains on the provision of health services as demands increase and resources to meet these needs diminish The six major components of health services may be each damaged in different ways, and all can require urgent attention This is all discussed in this module

Module 8: Shelter in a Humanitarian Setting

In this module we talk about shelter and what it means We describe how and which shelter solutions contribute towards immediate and longer-term recovery of people affected by disasters

Module 9: Protection of Displaced Populations: Human Rights & Humanitarian Law

Many disasters cause populations to be displaced The module on the protection of displaced populations explores the international protection of individuals in relation to public health, human rights, and international humanitarian law

Module 10: Emerging Risks, Challenges, and Opportunities for Future Humanitarian Emergencies

The potential for future disasters is great, and each having important public health components New resources and new approaches will be needed to address these disasters and to help countries to recover economies and livelihoods This module discusses the challenges and future directions in humanitarian assistance