Children's Health in Emergencies: Practical guidelines for health workers

Summary: Today almost any health worker anywhere could face a major emergency at some time during his or her career, whether providing health care or as someone personally affected.

Today almost any health worker anywhere could face a major emergency at some time during his or her career, whether providing health care or as someone personally affected. The recent tragedy in Mozambique highlights the immense challenge of responding promptly and appropriately to an emergency situation. Meeting the basic needs of large numbers of displaced people with food, water and shelter is usually the main priority but information is important too. Health workers need to know what they can do in the early stages of an emergency, how management and prevention of childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and malaria differs in emergency situations and how they can work with communities and other organisations. Published as a special supplement to Healthlink Worldwide's popular international newsletter Child Health Dialogue, this publication focuses on improving children's health in emergency situations. It will provide a unique audience of mainly indigenous health and development workers with up-to-date, practical information on appropriate policies and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency occurring in their area. Children's Health in Emergencies provides practical information about: · priority actions in emergency situations · prevention and management of common illnesses · identifying and treating malnourished children · working with children suffering psychological, social and emotional problems · working with communities and other organisations to improve the environment. This practical supplement written in clear, easy to understand language will be widely distributed in developing countries including Mozambique and Angola. Available in English and Portuguese the supplement has been sponsored and endorsed by major aid and donor organisations including Concern Worldwide, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, MERLIN, Save the Children Fund, Trocaire and Tearfund.

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