About
Over 30 Years on the Front Lines
CRED has been active for over 30 years in the fields of international disaster and conflict health studies, with research and training activities linking relief, rehabilitation and development. It promotes research, training and technical expertise on humanitarian emergencies, with a special focus on public health and epidemiology.
In 1971, Professor Michel F. Lechat, an epidemiologist at the Université catholique de Louvain, initiated a research programme to study health issues in disaster situations. Two years later he established CRED as non-profit institution with international status. Since 1980, the Centre has been a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre.
Following the retirement of Professor Lechat in 1992, Professor Debarati Guha-Sapir, a research in the programme since 1984, became CRED's Director.