Training and Education

Epidemiological Methods in Humanitarian Emergencies

This week-long course covers epidemiologic principles, techniques and practice used during complex humanitarian emergencies. Topics to be covered include: both camp and non-camp situations, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban settings, and emerging methods. The course includes modules on rapid assessment, surveys, surveillance, outbreak response and other methods, as well as qualitative research. Teaching methods will combine lectures and case studies of recent humanitarian emergencies and will be very participatory. We expect this course to be quite challenging in terms of out-of-class reading assignments, in-class lectures and case studies.

Food and Nutrition in Humanitarian Emergencies

This two-day course covers malnutrition during humanitarian emergencies, including acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. The course will discuss how organizations decide when, what type and how much food to distribute during crisis. It will also address other programs that are used to prevent malnutrition, how organizations concerned with nutrition evaluate nutritional status in individuals and populations and the various types of feeding programs that are implemented in emergency situations. The course will include practical field exercises on nutrition.

Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

This week-long course covers the technical and management principles that are the basis of planning, implementing, and evaluating health programs for acutely displaced populations in developing countries, with emphasis on refugees in camp situations. The course includes modules on assessment, nutrition, epidemiology of major health problems, surveillance, and program management in the context of an international relief operation. We expect this course to be quite challenging in terms of out-of-class reading assignments, in-class lectures and case studies.

Logistics Operations in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

Logistics planning is critical in identifying intervention opportunities and mobilizing more effective services for health care infrastructure in humanitarian relief operations. In this course, students will become familiar with logistics tools, reports, and methodologies available for enhancing health care response during complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs).

Logistics is critical for efficient emergency deployment and sustainability during all stages of complex humanitarian health response. Usually, little thought is given to logistics during the “ramp-up phase” of a humanitarian response because of the speed at which response efforts take place, which can cause greater inefficiencies during the actual response. If many of the logistical considerations and needs were accomplished in advance of a CHE response and then tailored to fit the specific needs of the situation at hand, health care response programs would run more smoothly and avoid the added cost of considering logistics last minute. Examples will be used to illustrate the need for logistics planning, especially from disasters that have happened in the past decade. Lectures will be supplemented with student case studies, subject-matter expert reviewers, and a site visit.

Mental Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

This two-day course covers essential principles necessary to understand and address mental health issues in complex humanitarian emergencies. Using epidemiological and ethnographic approaches, the course will highlight mental health surveys, outcome evaluation methods, best practices and evidence-based interventions for beneficiary populations, and preparation and training for emergency responders and aid workers.

Risk Communications for Global Public Health Emergencies

The objective of the Risk Communications for Global Public Health Emergencies course is to encourage and facilitate improved risk communication for public health emergencies among public health authorities and partner organizations, through the building of risk communication core capacities as part of the surveillance and response requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR).

This two-day course integrates a highly interactive simulation exercise as a means to engage participants, stimulate discussion and confront the real difficulties in this challenging area of work. The objective of the simulation exercise is to encourage improved risk communication for public health emergencies among public health authorities. This is done through participation in a series of decision-making challenges, in discussions assessing the choices made, and a consideration of the practical capacity building steps required.

Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

This course builds on students’ knowledge of epidemiologic principles, sexual and reproductive health indicators, and health in complex humanitarian emergencies. It takes an applied epidemiological approach covering three essential components to sexual and reproductive health in complex humanitarian emergencies: program management, monitoring, and evaluation; policy and advocacy; and emerging issues and methods.

Preparedness and Planning for International Emergencies

This two-day course covers the essential principles of emergency preparedness and planning in the international context. Students will become familiar with concepts of the U.S. Federal Plan Development Process, emergency operation plan development, and table-top exercises. The common pitfalls and challenges of emergency preparedness and planning in the international context will be discussed. Students will have the opportunity to walk through the plan development process culminating in a table-top exercise, and provide input for plan improvement.