CRED -

Informing Policy for Early Warning and Preparedness: An Epidemiological Study of the Human Impact of the Tsunami in Tamil Nadu

Funded by the UN Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR), this study's main objective is to develop better preparedness and mitigation policies through collecting evidence on risks factors related to the Indian Ocean tsunami. The secondary objective is to contribute to the evidence-base for the global disaster reduction community on the human impacts of disasters. The study is jointly being carried out by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and the University of Delhi, with logistical and administrative support provided by the Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association of India (TNVHA).
View report by clicking here.

Reinforcing data reporting from refugee camps for performance and impact monitoring

The collaboration project between UNHCR and CRED has the overall purpose of promoting the accuracy, reliability and final use of the public health data available on refugees under the jurisdiction of UNHCR. In order to achieve it, CRED and UNHCR are planning to undertake several field missions to some chosen refugee camps for obtaining a thorough and in-depth understanding of the current data reporting process, complete data audit of the pilot camps and establish camp-specific baselines for selected indicators to monitor future progress in the situation of the camp.

Mortality Survey in Darfur

In the framework of the second WHO mortality survey in the Darfur region conducted in May-June 2005, CRED provided assistance to the WHO epidemiologists in charge of the assessment. CRED focused on the validation and analyses of the data and co-wrote the final report.

Research network on public health, conflict and disasters in South East Asia

This 3-year project is funded by the European Commission under the 5th Framework Programme, which focuses on community activities in the field of research, technological development and demonstration (RTD-INCO DEV). The project includes three partners from the European Union and three partners from Southeast Asia. The main goal of this project is to improve the quality of public health response in disaster and conflict-affected populations in Southeast Asia at national, regional and international levels. See EM-SEANET.

Mapping of the intersections between health and armed conflict

The project consiste on providing a short overview paper and mapping institutions active in the armed conflict areas.
The overview paper will address the following 3 questions:
1. How does armed conflict adversely affect the health of people living in zones of violent conflict?
2. How do adverse health conditions affect conflict and security?
3. How can the delivery of health services play a role in reducing conflict?
Click here to get the pdf version of the paper.

Soutien au programme humanitaire en Iraq par l'OMS

The aims of the project are to:
(1) reinforce national capacity for setting up and maintaining a national nutrition surveillance system;
(2) design a model for a national nutrition surveillance system that will provide monitoring information for nutritional emergencies and evidence base for future planning.

Disaster preparedness, Emergency medicine and mental health in Cambodia: an interdisciplinary approach of CRED/UCL/St Luc in research and training

In 1998, CRED, in collaboration with the Emergency Services of the Saint-Luc University Hospital, began a first project, financed by the European Community called "Emergency services and Disaster Plan for Phnom Penh". A second project, complementary to the first, lasting 3 years and beginning in the year 2000 comprises two parts, firstly, a "training" part which includes a post-graduate level (dedicated to teaching emergency medicine and psychiatry within the Faculty of Medicine of Phnom Penh) and on a post doctoral level (a part concerned with launching a diploma in public health and management of disasters within the National Public Health & Research Institute of Phnom Penh); in addition, a "research" part comprising two activities : firstly, the creation of a data bank concerned with the disasters epidemiology in Cambodia; secondly the launch of a study about the impact of a natural disaster (flood 2000), in a selected region (Kampong Cham), among the affected population, and in the health, nutrition and mental health sectors.

Action research project on improving service delivery of the public health sector through peer review and supportive supervision: a DGXII action research project in India

The objectives of this three year project (1999-2001) situated in the Rajhastan state regarding their socio-economic and institutionnal aspects are to demonstrate the effectiveness of a participative approach to health service management in improving access, equity and quality of the existing health delivery system, and to provide a health service model for wider application.

Dengue in South-East Asia: regional situation review and research inventory

Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever is of increasing concern in South-east Asia, particulary Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. It is a re-emerging disease, with several recent outbreaks and with increasing vector resistance to insecticides. Civil conflict in this region, coupled with the breakdown of health structures, major ecological disturbances, population movements, rampant urbanisation have all contributed to an increased incidence of the disease and an alarming rise in case-fatality rates. Although the disease has clearly changed in the last decade, little is commonly known of the recent epidemiological profile of the disease. On-going research and epidemiological information is not available on a regional basis. An analysis and inventory of existing knowledge/ regional resources is essential for health planning, vaccine trials and regional control strategies.

The environmental conditions of disadvantaged communities in Asia : study of the effects of air pollution in housing on children in Delhi and Manila

The problem of pollution as a health risk is a considerable concern in the majority of cities in Asia. Children are the first and most vulnerable victims of toxic pollutants in developing countries. The actions currently underway to reduce pollution levels remain cautious, relatively difficult to undertake and frequently low-priority. This is particularly resented in the most disadvantaged countries where the problems of survival and economic concerns are paramount. Considering what is involved, respiratory infections are one of the primary causes of infant mortality in developing countries for instance, air pollution is a considerable risk and should be taken seriously into account for the survival of children. Unfortunately, studies in developing countries, which show the links between these two factors, are rare. As a result, those responsible remain unconvinced and do not take measures to reduce domestic pollution.

It is this context that this study was undertaken to collect precise qualitative data both on pollution levels and on medical examinations of groups of children. The study followed 600 children less than one year old, living in the slums of Delhi and Manila where cooking was done with kerosene or with wood as fuel. The medical team followed these children during four months with two visits per week to verify respiratory illness. Treatment for these illnesses was administered, along with treatment for other infections. 80 houses out of those studied were selected for environmental measures. A team of engineers measured RSP particles smaller than 10 microns over a 24-hour period using pumps and filters placed one metre from the source of the fire. A social worker also collected information on the normal cooking hours during a 24-hour period. This data was used to calculate the levels of the daily exposure of children to the pollutants.

The reproductive health needs and rapid evaluation method of women in refugee camps

It is generally accepted that the vital concerns for refugee populations are food, water, sanitary systems, shelter and primary health care. Assuming that the circumstances make it possible, activities related to reproductive health must also become part of essential health care. At present, systematic data on reproductive health is virtually non-existent and information is based on field reports and experience and on dispersed data.
In this context, reproductive health care services should include:
1. safety measures for maternity (pre- and post-natal care);
2. birth control measures appropriate to the culture and conditions;
3. programmes against sexually-transmitted disease;
4. counselling services for victims of sexual violence.This study, in two refugee camps in Ethiopia, is using a multi-disciplinary methodology based on work carried out by UNHCR, WHO, UNFPA and other centres.

Namely:
- evaluation of the reproductive care needs among the refugee population;
- identification of the reproductive health needs of the affected population;
- evaluation of the possibilities for, and obstacles to, the creation of groups of women refugees responsible for their own health. Following this project a field strategy will be proposed for use as a tool to start-up reproductive health services in refugee camps.

Disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness

This project, under the auspices of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), is for the preparation of a regional programme for disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness in the Caribbean, Central America and south-east Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Bangladesh). Research is undertaken to identify what currently exists in this domain and to propose co-ordinated programmes to strengthen preparedness which also takes account of development policy. Initially, analyses and concepts of prevention are studied so that they can be promoted at the level of NGOs and the European institutions to increase training and capacity for interventions. In addition, a cost-benefit analysis model for prevention operations is being studies, relating the damage caused by disasters to the cost of rescue and rehabilitation measures (Laos, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam).