Photo: http://www.cdc.gov

Dr. Brennan began by introducing several conclusions made during the WHO Emergency Forum, hence inviting the floor to provide recommendations that improve health responses coordination between IASC and member states under the existing coordination mechanisms.

Whilst acknowledging the vitality of multi-sectorial collaboration, Mr. Senghore stated that it is also of equal importance to ensure local communities and actors are empowered and given the resources for health emergency prevention and response as opposed to simply centrally-allocating all the resources to countries’ capital. In understanding the underneath causes of health emergencies, he added that the involvement of not only international, but also local health experts must not be neglected due to their adequate knowledge of local health experience, which is beyond the expertise of international public health scientists.

Resonating with Mr. Sanghore was Mr. Chaiban, and he urged that early stage (i.e. childhood) prevention must be prioritized in any public health agenda. He also warned that there has been a propensity of WHO to only focus on the immediate causes of epidemic at their early stage of outbreak, and ignore many of its structural underlying causes. Hence, in order to formulate comprehensive response in the future, a multi-sectorial approach that involves both public health and non-medical personnel is indispensable.

Meeting: ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment – Restoring Humanity and Leaving No One Behind: Working together to reduce people’s humanitarian need, risk and vulnerability 27-29 June, 2016: Side Event – The Future of Global Humanitarian Health Response

Date/Time/Location: Wednesday, 29 June, 2016; 13:30 – 14:45; Conference Room 5

Speakers: Dr. Rick Brennan, Director for Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response, WHO, Mr. Alasan Senghore, Head of Delegation, IFRC Delegation to the United Nations, Mr. Ted Chaiban, Director of Programme Division, UNICEF

Written by: Raphael LEUNG