Paper published on identifying strategies for strengthening disaster resilience in communities
The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed many public health systems and societal functions. The impacts of disasters and response largely depend on different vulnerabilities and capacities, such as systems and infrastructures, in countries and communities.
To better understand system needs and areas for improvement in different settings, a WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) funded research project was conducted by Baylor university and Hiroshima university in partnership with 13 academic institutions across 8 countries. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (the Scorecard) was used in 5 workshops in Slovenia, Turkey, and the United States of America. This paper included priority actions and strategies identified in the research project to strengthen community resilience and stronger public health systems.
Dr Ryoma Kayano, Technical Officer of WKC and a co-author of this paper, stresses the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration to enhance community resilience to mitigate the impact of emergencies and disasters in the context of COVID-19 or other possible future pandemics.
Ryan B, Kako M, Fink R, Şimşek P, Barach P, Acosta J, Bhatia S, Brickhouse M, Fendt M, Fontenot A, Arenas Garcia A, Garner S, Gunduz A, Hardin Jr M, Hatch T, Malrey-Horne L, MacDermot M, Kayano R, McKone J, Noel C, Nomura S, Novak J, Stricklin A, Swienton R, Tayfur I, Brooks B. (2023). Strategies for Strengthening the Resilience of Public Health Systems for Pandemics, Disasters, and Other Emergencies. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17, E479. doi:10.1017/dmp.2023.136