Meeting CholeraÆs Challenge to Haiti and the World: A Joint Statement on Cholera Prevention and Care

Ce document plaide pour une stratégie intégrée pour la prévention et le traitement du choléra en Haïti. Il identifie les défis et les composantes d'une réponse globale au choléra en Haïti ou ailleurs. Il propose de renforcer ou construire des infrastructures d'approvisionnement en eau, d'assainissement et de santé, ainsi que de renforcer la prévention et les traitements (vaccination, antibiotiques, etc.), pour éviter de pareilles épidémies dans le futur.

Estrategias de control de infecciones para procedimientos específicos en establecimientos de salud. Enfermedades respiratorias agudas con tendencia epidémica y pandémica: Guía de Referencia Rápida

Este documento está dirigido a profesionales dedicados al control de infecciones, especialistas en salud ocupacional y otros profesionales involucrados en la atención de pacientes en establecimientos de salud. El mismo está diseñado para proporcionar una guía rápida de referencia sobre la prevención y el control de infección para ayudar a prevenir la transmisión de las enfermedades respiratorias infecciosas agudas durante la atención de la salud. El asesoramiento en esta Guía de Referencia Rápida se extrae de ôPrevención y control de infección de enfermedades respiratorias agudas con tendencia epidémica y pandémica durante la atención sanitaria: Pautas provisionales de la OMSö publicadas en el año 2007. (AU)

Chapter 18 : Design and implementation of mass immunization and prophylactic antibiotics clinics

This chapter presents the tools that are commonly and easily accessible to practitioners, that provide the most up-to-date information about immunization and prophylactic treatment for human exposure to biological weapons. The major objective of this chapter is to provide nurses with the knowledge to design and conduct mass inmunization and treatment clinics for persons who have been exposed to or are at high risk for having been exposed to bioweapons. Advanced planning for a coordinated public health response to a biological weapon event is critical in order to obtain the most desirable outcome of limiting the effects of that event on the public. Warning periods will be relatively short and populations affected may be quite large. This chapter includes the planning and conducting of major immunization clinics. All aspects of running these type of clinics will be covered, including state and local planning, estimating vaccine needs, clinic site selection and staffing patterns. Also included is a detailed description of supplies and equipment needed. Many organizational and documentation formats are also provided (AU)

Chapter 20 : Radiological incidents and emergencies

Medical personnel may be called upon to care for patients who have exposed to high levels of radiation or who have been contaminated with radioactive materials. Some of these patients may be gravely ill with radiation sickness or may have radiated burns, while others may have no radiological medical problems other than minor skin contamination. It is essential that nurses and other medical personnel be able to recognize radiation injury and provide apropiate treatment . It is also essential that medical personnel understand that patients who are merely contaminated may be treated without risk of radiation injury to the medical staff, although contamination control measures may be prudent if the medical condition permits (AU)

Gestión de recursos humanos : Brigadas de intervención rápida en desastres (BIRD) : Una propuesta a institucionalizar

Muchos países en Latinoamerica han conformado brigadas de salud para situaciones de emergencia, del nivel hospitalario o sanitario; actualmente se sabe que toma mucha importancia el atender emergencias conformadas a través del personal local de salud dentro de una respuesta escalonada de Sistema de Salud. En el Perú, los establecimientos de hospitalarios y las direcciones de salud petenecientes al ministerio de Salud en el afán de dar una adecuada respuesta a las necesidades de salud, implementaron equipos para atención médica y sanitaria; pero estas iniciativas surgieron sin una estandarización de los procesos de selección, conformación, entrenamiento e identificación de vestimentas dentro del sistema de salud. El presente artículoen mención, surge como una inicitaiva para poder homologar y estandarizar las características de las brigadas de salud del sector salud. La propuesta planteada se basa en el análisis de experiencias de campo como integrante de brigadas que acudieron a poblaciones damnificadas en el interior del Perú y durante misiones internacionales. El objetivo principal es compartir esta iniciativa que fue propuesta en un proyecto de institucionalización, y viene siendo aceptada y promovida por la Oficina e defensa Nacional del Ministerio de Salud. (AU)

Health related relief in the former Yugoslavia : Needs, demands and supplies

Introduction: Many organizations rally to areas to provide assistance to a population during a disaster. Little is known about the ability of the materials and services provided to meet the actual needs and demands of the affected population. This study sought to identify the perceptions of representatives of the international organizations providing this aid, the international workers involved with the delivery of this aid, the workers who were employed locally by the international organizations, the recipients, and the local authorities. This study sought to identify the perceptions of these personnel relative to the adequacies of the supplies in meeting the needs and demands of the population during and following the war in Bosnia - Herzegovina. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with representatives of international organizations and workers providing aid and with locally employed workers, recipients of the assistance, and the authorities of the areas involved. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assist in the analysis of the data. Results: Eighty-eigth interviews were conducted. A total of 246 organizations were identified as providing assistance within the area, and 54

were involved with health-related activities including: 1)the provision of medications; 2)public health measures; and 3)medical equipment or parts for the same. Internationals believed that a higher proportion of the needs were being met by the assistance(73.4ñ16.4

) than did the nationals(52.1ñ23.3

;p <0.001). All groups believed that approximately 50

of the demands of the affected population were being addressed. Howewer, 87

of the international interviewes believed that the affected population was requesting more than it actually needed. While 27

of the international participants believed that >25

of what was provided was unusable, 80

of the recipients felt that >25

of the provisions were not usable.Whereas two-thirds of the international participants believed that >25

of the demands for assistance by the affected community could not be justified, only 20

of the recipients and authorities believed >25

of the demands were unjustified. Conclusions: Many organizations are involved in the provision of medical assistance during a disaster. However, international organizations and workers believe their efforts are more effective than do the recipients(AU)