Conceptualizing the Essential Elements of Public Health Emergency Preparedness in Canada

Abstract

Study/Objective: The aim is to evaluate contemporary Australian disaster practice. Background: The evolution of disaster practice has displayed that the management of disasters extends beyond immediate response needs, and that effective recovery from these events requires a broad, coordinated capacity building perspective, rather than a traditional short term response effort. The concept and practice of reducing disaster risk can be achieved through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, rather than apply current, operational, response designed risk management actions. It is therefore timely to assess the relationship of proposed strategies, and the social determinants of health as a holistic approach to disaster practice. Methods: Contemporary Australian disasters inquiries were to determine what, if any recommendations support action on the causal factors of health and wellbeing as described by the World Health Organization (WHO), using the Social determinants of health as a reference standard. The intent was to examine whether the recommendations undertook action on improving public health, and thus improved community resilience and reduced vulnerability. Results:• Seven post disaster inquiries were reviewed.• Although the scope and Terms of Reference of reports were broad enough to be inclusive of risk, risk factors and resilience, the recommendations focused primarily on emergency management structure and practice, and demonstrated low engagement in health, health equity, and/or health protection as drivers or outputs. Conclusion:The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience has also identified that disasters are increasing in their complexity and frequency. Priorities of prevention and mitigation have been firmly embedded within this strategy, to mitigate the effects of disasters upon the community. There is an opportunity to further engage public health practice with disaster management professions and examine:• what role does disaster health practice play in shaping the social environment in ways conducive to better health and,• how interventions can assume wider responsibility for creating more healthy, resilient societies Prehosp Disaster Med 2017;32(Suppl. 1):s197

From SARS to pandemic influenza: the framing of high-risk populations

“…One important example from this study is the leadership demonstrated in the Sendai Framework (UNISDR 2015) with use of the term people at disproportionate risk instead of vulnerable populations. People at disproportionate risk, while cumbersome to pronounce, is an example of person-first language which separates the person from the condition(s) that exacerbate the vulnerability (Pickering et al 2017).…”