WHO Thematic Platform for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Research Network (TPRN): Report of the Kobe Expert Meeting.

Ryoma Kayano,Emily Chan,Sarah Barber,Jonathan Abrahams,Virginia Murray

doi:10.3390/ijerph16071232

Abstract

The WHO Thematic Platform for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Research Network (TPRN) was established in 2016 in response to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. The TPRN facilitates global collaborative action for improving the scientific evidence base in health emergency and disaster risk management (Health EDRM). In 2018, the WHO convened a meeting to identify key research questions, bringing together leading experts from WHO, TPRN, World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and delegates to the Asia Pacific Conference on Disaster Medicine (APCDM). The meeting identified research questions in five major areas for Health EDRM: health data management, psychosocial management, community risk management, health workforce development, and research methods and ethics. Funding these key research questions is essential to accelerate evidence-based actions during emergencies and disasters.

Highlights

Over the past few decades, the frequency of disasters has increased as a result of a number of risk drivers including unplanned urbanization and unmitigated climate change
With more than 30 references to health issues the framework includes health in its goal as “the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health . . . .” [1]. It emphasizes the importance of improving the scientific evidence base to advance health emergency and disaster risk management (Health EDRM)
World Health Organization (WHO) established the WHO Thematic Platform for Health EDRM Research Network (TPRN) to promote global collaboration among academia [2,3], government officials and other stakeholders to generate better scientific evidence to inform policy and practice for managing health risks associated with emergencies and disaster

Summary

Introduction

Over the past few decades, the frequency of disasters has increased as a result of a number of risk drivers including unplanned urbanization and unmitigated climate change. World Health Organization (WHO) established the WHO Thematic Platform for Health EDRM Research Network (TPRN) to promote global collaboration among academia [2,3], government officials and other stakeholders to generate better scientific evidence to inform policy and practice for managing health risks associated with emergencies and disaster. The paper highlighted the critical importance of research before, during and after disasters ( the acute phase) and gave consideration to the following: a holistic approach, including physical, mental and psychosocial health and well-being; identifying populations at risk with specific health needs; standardization of needs assessments, standardization of evaluation methodologies and reporting systems for countries, communities and individual cases; multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches; and a review of research for informing better policy development and implementation. The WHO Kobe Center (WKC) organized the meeting as one of the programs during APCDM 2018 on 17 October 2018, in Kobe, Japan [6]

Materials and Methods

Key Research Gaps and Questions in Five Key Research Areas

Research methods and ethics

Follow-Up Actions

Conclusions