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Conducting Rapid Health Needs Assessments in the Cluster Era: Experience from the Pakistan Flood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

Osman A. Dar ,
Mishal S. Khan  and
Virginia Murray
Osman A. Dar*
Affiliation:
Health Protection Agency, London, UK
Mishal S. Khan
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Research Alliance for Advocacy and Development, London, UK
Virginia Murray
Affiliation:
Consultant Medical Toxicologist and Environmental Public Health, Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, Health Protection Agency, London, UK
*
Correspondence: Osman A. Dar Health Protection Agency7th Floor Holborn Gate330 High HolbornLondon WC1V 7PP, UK E-mail: oadar1@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Due to its unprecedented scale, the Pakistan flood disaster tested the limits of disaster management and coordination. Under the leadership of the World Health Organization, the Global Health Cluster system for coordinating activities improved collaboration and efficiency in conducing rapid needs assessments. However, the involvement of non-Cluster members was lacking, and information on existing service provision was not collected adequately. The present rapid health needs assessment process under the Cluster system will be discussed, using the recent floods in Pakistan as an example.

Keywords

cluster systemfloodGlobal Health Clusterneeds assessmentPakistanrapid needs assessment
Type
Case Study
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , June 2011 , pp. 212 - 216
Copyright
Copyright Osman © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2011

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