Civil-military coordination of public health response to urban disasters in Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction. Direct and indirect impacts of disasters and emergencies on public health and health care systems, and the use of health outcomes as indicators of the effectiveness of disaster management activities highlight the importance of the role health sector plays in all phases of disaster management cycle. In Malaysia, several gaps have been identified with regards to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations, including lack of coordination between agencies, and most of the agencies focusing on the preparedness and response phases. 
 The purpouse of this narrative review was to obtain a broad appreciation of the extent of the research literature on the role of civil-military coordination during the disaster events in urban settings, particularly in the context of public health response to disasters and emergencies, and a broad understanding of any clear evidence which may have policy implications for KL, Malaysia.
 Materials and methods. This study is a narrative review of literature on civil-military coordination of public health response to urban disasters in Malaysia. The databases that were individually searched included PubMed, PsychINFO and Pre-CINAHL. Google Scholar was also searched.
 Results. The results of this study highlighted the importance of developing proactive approaches to public health and disasters as opposed to a general reactive approach. Ultimately, by establishing efficient partnership with the military as one of the key stakeholders, through civil-military coordination, an enhanced response to public health implications of disasters and emergencies can be achieved. 
 Conclusions. Optimizing multi-sectoral approach, interoperability and coordination of civil-military capabilities to address health-related impacts of disasters is especially important in the dense and complex urban setting of Kuala Lumpur (KL) metropolitan area.