A high proportion of New York City public school children had a probable mental disorder 6 months after September 11, 2001. The data suggest that there is a relationship between level of exposure to trauma and likelihood of child anxiety/depressive disorders in the community. The results support the need to apply wide-area epidemiological approaches to mental health assessment after any large-scale disaster.

Children and adolescents are among the most vulnerable members of communities affected by disasters and emergencies. There is a tremendous need for a systematic post-disaster psychological assessment of children and adolescents in order to understand better post-traumatic symptomatology in children and to identify populations that require an early intervention. This article reviews psychological instruments that are suitable for screening children and adolescents in emergency and disaster contexts for four different types of post-traumatic responses: post-traumatic stress disorder; depression; anxiety disorders; and behavioural disorders. A description of each instrument and psychometric data are provided, along with recommendations on the most appropriate instruments to be utilised in different emergency environments and a summary of previous post-disaster evaluations that have used each type. In addition to selecting apposite instruments, other important issues that should be taken into account when conducting post-emergency mental health needs appraisals of children and adolescents are discussed.

Recommended protective behaviors were associated with less respiratory illness among US travelers to the 2009 Hajj. Influenza A(H1N1) communication and education in KSA during the Hajj may also have been an effective component of efforts to mitigate illness. Evaluations of communication efforts and preventive measures are important in developing evidence-based public health plans to prevent and mitigate disease outbreaks at the Hajj and other mass gatherings.

Understanding the perspectives of susceptible and low-coverage populations is crucial to improving immunization programmes. TIP provides a framework that facilitated this in four countries. In the future, the purpose of TIP should go beyond identification of susceptible groups and diagnosis of challenges and ensure a stronger focus on the design of strategies and appropriate and effective interventions to ensure long-term change.