Response Preparedness
The critical components of a relief program responding to sudden population
displacement comprise the provision of adequate food, clean water,
sanitation, and shelter. In addition, the following elements of a health
program should be established as soon as possible.
Health Information System
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Mortality surveillance
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Nutrition surveillance
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Surveillance for diseases of public health importance
Diarrheal Disease Control
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ORT
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Community hygiene education
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Cholera preparedness
Immunization
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Measles immunization immediately
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Other EPI antigens later, when the emergency subsides
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Identification of sources for meningitis vaccine
Basic Curative Care
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Emphasis on maternal and child health (MCH)
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Establishment of a referral system
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Development of an essential drugs list
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Preparation of standard treatment guidelines (at least for Diarrhea,
malaria, and ARI)
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Selection, training, and deployment of community health workers
Endemic disease control and epidemic preparedness
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Establishment of surveillance, including standard case definitions
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Development of standard case management protocols
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Agreement on policies for prevention (including vaccination and
prophylaxis)
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Identification of laboratory to confirm index cases of epidemic diseases
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Identification of sources of relevant vaccines
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Establishment of reserves of essential medical supplies (ORT,
intravenous (IV) solutions)
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Identification of treatment sites, triage system, and training needs
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Identification of expert assistance for epidemic investigation
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Development of environmental management plans
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Implementation of community education and prevention programs
The detailed recommendations that follow are organized according to either
disease group (e.g., diarrheal diseases or malnutrition) or technical methods
(e.g., rapid assessment). Nevertheless, it is critical to keep in mind the
demographic groups that are most at risk during emergencies, namely young
children and women. It is important that health services in refugee settings
be organized in a way that facilitates access by these groups. In general,
MCH services should be given higher priority than general outpatient
dispensaries and hospitals.
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