Public health emergencies

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Izzeldin F. Adam; Tokyo Medical and Dental University

PUBLIC HEALTH IN COMPLEX HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES

By: Adam F. Izzeldin; BPEH, MPH, PhD candidate.

Department of International Health, TMDU

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Contents

Definitions of public health and emergency

Mission of public health

Types of emergency

Functions of public health in emergency

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History of public health

• The Black death in the 14th century

• Edward Jenner 1802

• John Snow 1854

• Alexander Fleming (1881 –1955)

• Robert Koch (1843 – 1910)

• Paul-Louis Simond 1898

• Sir Ronald Ross, (1857 – 1932)

• Etc.

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What is Public health?

“The science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community, as by preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental hazards.” Medical dictionary

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What is Public health?

“the science and art of disease prevention, prolonging life, and promoting health and well-being through organized community effort for the sanitation of the environment, the control of communicable infections, the organization of medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and prevention of disease, the education of the individual in personal health and the development of the social machinery to assure everyone a standard of living adequate for the maintenance or improvement of health.” (Winslow,1920)

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What is your own concept for public health?

• From social perspective?

• From economic perspective?

• From political perspective?

• From cultural perspective?

• Others ?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQkGx6gRGIY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUHlzppBTg2w8NbZOIWbb5Yg

• http://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsPublicHealth

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsPublicHealth








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Public health mission

• The assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities;

• The formulation of public policies designed to solve identified local and national health problems and priorities;

• To assure that all populations have access to appropriate and cost-effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention services, and evaluation of the effectiveness of that care.

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Public health system process

• Public health is always evaluating the health of the community.

• A continuous cycle of gathering information, deciding on effective solutions, acting, evaluating interventions

• Setting partnerships and intersectoral coordination

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The Ten Essential Public Health Functions

1. Monitor health status to identify community health problems

2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community

3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues

4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems

5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts

6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when unavailable 8. Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems

Public Health Functions Steering Committee, 1994

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Ten great public health achievements2001-2010

1. Reductions in Child Mortality

2. Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

3. Access to Safe Water and Sanitation

4. Malaria Prevention and Control

5. Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS

6. Tuberculosis Control7. Control of Neglected

Tropical Diseases 8. Tobacco Control 9. Increased Awareness

and Response for Improving Global Road Safety

10. Improved Preparedness and Response to Global Health Threats

CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 24, 2011.

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Who are involved in public health ?

• Many professional disciplines such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, nutrition, social work, environmental sciences, health education, health services administration, and the behavioral sciences.

• Its activities focus on entire populations rather than on individual patients.

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Public health network

agriculture

Home Health

Social welfare

Economic Development

Mass Transit

Employers

Nursing Homes

Mental Health

Drug Treatment

Civic GroupsCHCs

Laboratory Facilities

Hospitals

Information communication

Community Centers

industries

Health Department

Religious leaders

Philanthropist

Elected Officials

Tribal leaders

Schools/ universities

Police/ security

Fire/emerg.

politicians

Environmental Health

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Public health and clinical professions

• Doctors usually treat individual patients one-on-one for a specific disease or injury.

• Public health professionals monitor and diagnose the health concerns of entire communities and promote healthy practices and behaviors to assure our populations stay healthy.

• It has been said that: "Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time."

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What is emergency?

• The word disaster implies a sudden overwhelming and unforeseen event.

• At the household level, a disaster could result in a major illness, death, a substantial economic or social misfortune.

• At the community level, it could be a flood, a fire, a collapse of buildings in an earthquake, the destruction of livelihoods, an epidemic or displacement through conflict.

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Public health challenges in emergency

• In in emergency settings the mission of public health will be intensified and more complicated where :

• Resources and infrastructure are destroyed

• Supply and communication chains are disrupted

• Populations are massively affected

• Health personnel are often displaced, assaulted, infected or injured.

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Natural Types of Disasters

• Agricultural diseases & pests

• Damaging Winds• Drought and water

shortage• Earthquakes• Diseases

(pandemic influenza)

• Extreme heat• Floods and flash

floods• Hail

• Hurricanes and tropical storms

• Landslides & debris flow

• Thunderstorms and lighting

• Tornadoes• Tsunamis• Wildfire• Ice storms• Sinkholes• volcano

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Man-Made and Disasters

• Hazardous materials

• Power service disruption & blackout

• Nuclear power plant and nuclear blast

• Radiological emergencies

• Chemical threat

• biological weapons

• Cyber attacks

• Explosion

• Civil unrest

• war

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Cycle of emergency management

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Public health in emergencies

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Functions of Public health in Emergency Response

1. Assess the situation2. Contact key health

personnel3. Develop initial health

response plan4. Communication with

health agencies 5. Address requests for

assistance and information

6. Risk communication activities

7. Apprised of legal issues

8. Collect and analyze data through surveillance

9. Address the needs of special populations

10. Organize health-related volunteers and donations

11. Collaborate with state and federal on-site assistance

12. Assess health resource needs.

13. Document all response activities

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Ongoing Public Health Emergency Response

1. Environmental hazard identification

2. Hazards consultation3. Epidemiological

services4. Health and medical

needs assessment5. Identification of

affected individuals6. Contamination control7. Health surveillance8. Laboratory specimen

collection and analysis

9. Infectious disease control

8. Quarantine/isolation9. Public health information10. Risk communication11. Responder safety and

health12. Medical equipment

safety and availability13. Health-related

volunteer and donation coordination

14. In-hospital care15. Evacuation

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Continued-Ongoing Public Health Emergency Response

1. Sheltering2. Special populations

needs and assistance3. Mass trauma4. Mass fatalities5. Mortuary services6. Mental/behavioral

health care and social services

7. Potable water8. Food safety9. Vector control and pest

management

10.Wastewater and solid-waste disposal

11. Building/facility assessment

12. Sanitation/hygiene services

13. Continuity of public health programs/ services

14. Veterinary services15.Animal rescue/control16. Long-term community

recovery

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Conclusion

1. Public health is a large field of multi-disciplines that requires collaborations with other sectors and intersectoral coordination across health and medical agencies.

2. Humanitarian emergencies urge the needs for public health interventions in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery phases of emergency.

3. Public health emergencies is always evaluating the needs of vulnerable communities, deciding on effective health response, providing recovery for populations and health system

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Some references in Public health emergencies

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Wish you long life free of

emergencies

Public health emergencies

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Public health emergencies