Reference Manual for Humanitarian Health Professionals (eng)

The Reference Manual for Humanitarian Health Professionals: Missioncraft in Disaster Relief is a hands-on resource written for disaster relief practitioners, educators, and researchers working in clinical medicine, public health, or disaster management.  

“Missioncraft” is the art and science of preparing and conducting successful field operations. This manual provides state-of-the-art technical reference information developed from inter-disciplinary, inter-agency, and international best practices. It also provides tools and templates for health professionals addressing key disaster issues including security stabilization, rapid epidemiological assessment, environmental health, disease surveillance, epidemic preparedness, communicable disease control, standardized case management, referral practices, laboratory diagnostics, and medical logistics. Reference information and associated tools are presented in a concise, comprehensive, and structured format to help humanitarian health professionals plan, undertake, and manage high-impact interventions.  

Sections are arranged in chronological order of essential activities in disaster relief operations: 

·        Pre-departure preparation

·        Field briefing

·        Field assessment

·        Field recommendations

·        Field reporting

·        Field project and staff management

·        Medical coordination

·        Re-entry 

The Reference Manual for Humanitarian Health Professionals is an authoritative resource for disaster health professionals in leadership roles in governmental, non-governmental, Red Cross, or UN agencies; health professionals anticipating future disaster deployment as agency medical coordinator, team leader, or health cluster coordinator; field-based staff responsible for health outcomes of disaster-affected populations; disaster relief specialists involved in strategic planning, project design and development, project management, monitoring and evaluation, and accountability to affected populations; educators and trainees in disaster health best practices; and, humanitarian researchers.

David A. Bradt, MD, MPH, FACEM, FAFPHM, FACEP, DTM&H, is a disaster epidemiologist trained in emergency medicine and public health. He has earned fellowships from five medical specialty societies across the US, UK, and Australia as well as cross-trained in disaster management through the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the US Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance. His professional interest is disaster health services leading to disaster field experience in 25 countries and territories. Among his field assignments, he served as emergency physician in the Mujahideen-Afghan Surgical Hospital casualty receiving station at the Afghan-Pakistan border during the Afghan-Soviet war, International Federation of Red Cross medical coordinator in Zaire during the Rwandan genocide, International Rescue Committee physician in Macedonia and Albania during the Kosovo ethnic cleansing, WHO medical coordinator in Indonesia after the Indian Ocean tsunami, WHO emergency coordinator in Tunisia during the Libyan civil war, WHO senior public health advisor in South Sudan during its civil war, USAID\OFDA senior field officer in Sudan during the Darfur genocide, USAID\OFDA health advisor to the US Inter-agency Task Force after the Haiti earthquake, USAID\OFDA regional advisor in Southern Africa during the El Nino drought, and American Red Cross medical consultant at US disasters including Hurricane Andrew, Supertyphoon Paka, and World Trade Center terrorism.  
Dr. Bradt is a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Scholar, a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow, and a Fulbright Specialist in Public/Global Health. He holds faculty appointments in the US at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He consults on disaster health issues for governmental, non-governmental, Red Cross, and UN organizations. He has served as senior health advisor to WHO Department of Emergency Risk Management, surge health advisor to USAID\OFDA, and medical advisor to American Red Cross National Headquarters. He has served on the board of directors of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, the Disaster Medical Coordination International Society, and the editorial boards of two NLM-indexed biomedical journals. His awards include the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Outstanding Faculty Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Society of Alumni Award for Public Health Practice, American Red Cross National Headquarters Volunteer Award in Disaster Services, USAID Meritorious Group Award to the Darfur Disaster Assistance Response Team, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia Certificate of Appreciation for emergency response, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Victorian Faculty Fellows Prize for medical research, and International Federation for Emergency Medicine Humanitarian Award.

Christina M. Drummond, AM, MBBS, DObst(RCOG), DTM&H, FRACP, MPH, MAE, FAFPHM, is a specialist in infectious diseases and public health. She trained at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at Australian National University, the University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her professional interest is communicable disease control in disadvantaged populations leading to field experience in 24 countries and territories. Among her field assignments, she served as Australian Red Cross medical team leader in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge insurgency, International Federation of Red Cross medical coordinator in Zaire during the Rwandan genocide, American Red Cross epidemiologist in Guam after Supertyphoon Paka, International Rescue Committee physician in Macedonia and Albania during the Kosovo ethnic cleansing, WHO medical officer for tuberculosis in Indonesia during the Timor crisis, UNICEF-CDC technical advisor for Stop Polio in Sudan, CARE International health project manager in Sudan during the Darfur genocide, WHO public health consultant in the Maldives and in India after the Indian Ocean tsunami, WHO public health consultant in Cambodia after Mekong River flooding, and Medecins Sans Frontieres advisor for TB and other infectious disease projects worldwide.  
Dr. Drummond is a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Scholar. She is an associate at the Burnet Institute Centre for International Health in Australia. She consults on infectious diseases, public health, and humanitarian assistance for governmental, non-governmental, Red Cross, and UN organizations. She has served on the Australian Civilian Corps Post-Disaster Recovery Team for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee to the Communicable Disease Network of Australia, the Medecins Sans Frontieres Tuberculosis Club (international advisory group), and board of directors of the Disaster Medical Coordination International Society.  Her awards include the Australian Red Cross Society Meritorious Service Medal, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases fellowship, Association of Schools of Public Health research internship at the National Immunization Program of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Australian Government Certificate of Gratitude for contributions to developing countries, Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society membership, Malcolm Schonell Memorial Medal for contributions to humanitarian assistance, and membership in the General Division of the Order of Australia.