Natural disasters often increase morbidity and mortality rates. Taking appropriate measures to maintain environmental health helps to reduce or eliminate the risks of preventable disease and death. Such measures contribute not only to the health of individuals in and near disaster-stricken areas, bu...t they also contribute to decreasing the high costs of providing emergency health services in the aftermath of disaster.
This document is divided into several parts. The first section primarily addresses the effects of natural disasters on environmental health conditions and services. In the second section, environmental health measures are described that should be undertaken in each of three time frames: the predisaster, disaster, and postdisaster periods.
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Technical Aspects Part II
Safe excreta disposal is a top priority in an emergency, but one that takes time and extensive resources to implement. This Technical Briefing Note examines the use of poo bags for safe excreta containment and disposal in urban emergency settings. The Brief also explores ways of building more comple...te excreta management systems to ensure not only safe disposal, but also to ensure the dignity and safety of users.
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The health of the people and health services are in crisis, and together as partners this plan commits us to strategies aimed at achieving our goal of:
Strengthened primary health care for all, and improved service delivery for the rural majority and the urban disadvantaged.
Original fi...le: 67 MB
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The Sphere Handbook is the oldest initiative in the field of humanitarian standards. It has been field-tested over twenty years and regularly updated to ensure it remains fit for purpose in a changing world. What does not change is its rights-based foundations: people have the right to assistance, ...the right to life with dignity, the right to protection and security, and the right to fully participate in decisions related to their own recovery
A New Version in English and French was published in 2018
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The intent of these guidelines is to develop a holistic, coordinated, proactive and technology driven strategy for management of biological disasters through a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness to generate a prompt and effective response in the event of an emergency. Th...e document contains comprehensive guidelines for preparedness activities, biosafety and biosecurity measures, capacity development, specialised health care and laboratory facilities, strengthening of the existing legislative/
regulatory framework, mental health support, response, rehabilitation and recovery, etc. It specifically lays down the approach for implementation of the guidelines by the central ministries/departments, states, districts and other stakeholders, in a time bound manner.
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Disaster Preparedness Training Programme
Operational Guidelines and Field Manual on Human Rights Protection in Situations of Natural Disaster
Despite the human and economic impact of viral epidemics, the world is not well enough prepared for the next emerging viral outbreak. Global trends indicate that new microbial threats will continue to emerge at an accelerating rate, driven by our growing population, expanded travel and trade network...s, and human encroachment into wildlife habitat.
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This booklet presents key messages for action, summarized from a set of chapters on different environmental health issues, available at www.who.int/ ceh/publications/healthyenvironmentsforhealthychildren. The work is a result of an on-going partnership between WHO, UNEP and UNICEF in the area of chi...ldren’s environmental health, and seeks to update the 2002 joint publication “Children in the New Millennium: Environmental Impact on Health.”
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