Emergency Management

GENEVA—

The World Health Assembly has approved reforms that will increase the U.N. health agency's ability to respond rapidly and more effectively to health emergencies. In Geneva, a panel of experts discussed how new measures will help countries tackle emergencies, such as Ebola, Zika, and yellow fever.

Material to prevent Zika infection by mosquitoes are displayed at the 69th World Health Assembly at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, May 23, 2016

South Sudan tops many aid agencies' humanitarian priority lists. as a three-year civil war exacts a heavy toll on the citizens of the country.  (Nichole Sobecki, AFP)

Following a call from the UN for a record $20.1 billion, 15 of the world's leading aid agencies were polled on their top humanitarian concerns.

mg.co.za - by Tom Esslemont - December 28, 2015

There’s one prediction for 2016 that most aid workers can make with confidence – that the new year will usher in rising humanitarian needs.

Besides displacement caused by long-term conflicts in places like Syria and South Sudan, there is also the threat of more violence in Central African Republic and hunger caused by El Nino, which is expected to bring more drought to already-parched southern regions in Africa and potential flooding in the east. . . .

. . . A Thomson Reuters Foundation poll asked 15 of the world’s leading aid agencies to name their top three humanitarian priorities for 2016. Not surprisingly, Syria topped the list of concerns. But what were the others?

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ecapliberia.org

The Ebola Community Action Platform, known as ECAP, is a large social mobilization project, funded by USAID and developed by Mercy Corps. Established in 2014 at the height of the Ebola crisis, it worked through a huge network of over 70 NGOs, who helped spread life-saving information in their communities.

With continued funding from USAID, Mercy Corps will now build on this network to contribute to Ebola recovery and emergency preparedness.

How it works

Through a network of local organizations, ECAP 2 aims to give people the tools they need to better respond to outbreaks. In particular, partners will train and strengthen 1,500 Community Health Committees and connect them with clinics and health programs, and help them develop community action plans for disease surveillance and response.

Health groups and local radio partners will also do awareness activities to promote behaviours that reduce the threat of epidemics: for example, participation in vaccination and sanitation programs.

The program will run until June 2016.

http://ecapliberia.org/index.php/statistics/about-us/about-ecap.html

thenewdawnliberia.com - by Lewis S. Teh - edited by Jonathan Browne - December 1, 2015

The West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative or (WADPI) has ended a two weeks intensive training on disaster management in Monrovia.

The training, which began last week at the Golden Gate Hotel in Paynesville outside Monrovia, brought together officials of government line ministries and agencies, and commissions with 30 participants from five counties includingMontserrado, Gbarpolu, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Margibi, respectively.

The exercise was conducted under the auspices of the West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative or WADPI in collaboration with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) based in Ghana.

It was specifically meant to build capacities of ECOWAS countries to improve responses to disasters such as Ebola at the national and international levels, and other disasters that may occur.

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