WKC Forum on Accelerating International Research Collaboration for Health-EDRM
WKC hosted a forum on October 18, 2019 on Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM) for local and international stakeholders to discuss how Japan, Hyogo Prefecture, and Kobe can contribute to developing global scientific evidence in this field. In her opening remarks, Dr. Sarah Barber, Director of the WHO Kobe Centre (WKC), highlighted Health-EDRM as one of the major research themes on which WKC and local, national and international research institutes and universities are doing collaborative work.
Representing the Kobe Group, Governor Toshizo Ido recognized the importance of the TPRN core group meeting and WHO and the WKC’s work on disaster risk management, and expressed the wish that the forum be held regularly.
Following presentations by Japanese experts on Health-EDRM policy, research, and response data, the audience discussed Japan’s experience and contributions to Health-EDRM evidence and data.
Dr. Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury District Medical Officer for New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, summarized the findings as follows:
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Valuable lessons can be shared from Japan’s experiences and standardized data;
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Japan’s Health-EDRM templates should be shared with other countries so they can collect data more easily during and after disasters;
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Different approaches should be taken for different disasters; and
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More dedicated training and education related to Health-EDRM is needed, particularly for students.
In closing, Dr. Ngoy Nsenga, team lead for WHO’s Emergency Programme at the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), recognized Japan and WHO for promoting Health-EDRM: “Even if I can go home and save one life, then Japan has contributed.”