Articles

General steps

Disaster preparedness is an ongoing multisectoral activity. It requires coordination and organization by different departments of the government to facilitate assessment of a country’s disaster risk, adoption of standards and regulations, and action to ensure that resources can be mobilized rapidly in disaster situations.

The emergency or disaster plan should be dynamic in nature, updated regularly, and tested by simulation exercises carried out by the Emergency or disaster Committee, senior levels of the health ministry, and other health sector institutions. In monitoring and evaluating the plan, it is recommended that quantitative and qualitative elements are included.

Even if all risks have been taken into account in developing a plan, a plan may not operational until it has been tested. The plan should be evaluated and updated periodically through simulations.

Simulation exercise is a useful tool to familiarize personnel with the contents of the plan and with the roles and responsibilities of the health team. Through a fictitious scenario, the team’s performance on assigned roles can be observed and gaps identified in the operationalizing the plan.

No plan will succeed unless it considers the continuing education and training of health workers and the general population. The health sector’s national disaster management program is responsible for promoting ongoing training activities in different areas: