DISASTER MANAGEMENT & EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
DISASTER MANAGEMENT & EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
Responding Rapidly and Effectively to Public Health Emergencies.
What is the Disaster Management & Emergency Response Program?
The Disaster Management & Emergency Response Program of the NCD Provincial Health Authority (NCDPHA) is crucial for addressing public health emergencies timely and effectively. Established in 2022, the program emerged from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing the need for enhanced preparedness, response, and recovery capacity. The program is based at the PHA Head Quarter and is managed under Family Health Services Coordination. It is guided by the National Health Plan 2021-2030, aligning with Key Result Area (KRA) 4.7 to improve preparedness for disease outbreaks and emerging population threats including pandemics.
Key Benefits
- Timely and Effective Response: Enables rapid and coordinated action during health emergencies and crises.
- Enhanced Preparedness: Strengthens the health system’s capacity to anticipate, prepare for, and mitigate the impact of public health threats.
- Protection of Community Health: Works to minimize illness, injury, and loss of life during outbreaks and disasters.
- Dedicated Response Capacity: Maintains a specialized Rapid Response Team on standby to quickly address incoming alerts.
- Improved Coordination: Facilitates structured collaboration and communication among relevant stakeholders during emergency operations.
Services and Activities
The program implements a range of activities under its annual implementation plan to achieve its objectives. These services are geared towards strengthening the overall emergency response capacity within the NCDPHA jurisdiction.
- Rapid Response Deployment: Mobilization of a dedicated Rapid Response Team (RRT) to verify and manage public health alerts originating from clinics, hospitals, or communities.
- Outbreak Investigation and Management: Investigation and response to suspected unusual events, disease outbreaks, and alerts for notifiable diseases reported through surveillance systems.
- Coordination and Review: Conducting essential coordinating committee meetings, After Action Reviews (AAR), and debriefings for effective post-response evaluation.
- Surge Capacity Planning: Development and facilitation of surge capacity, including setting up pre-hospital arrangements in anticipation of outbreaks.
- Logistics and Resource Management: Procurement and management of critical resources for emergency response, such as PEOC buffer stock, communication tools, medical equipment, and operational supplies.
- Emergency Budgeting: Ensuring the availability and accessibility of a dedicated emergency budget to facilitate rapid response activities.
- Training and Simulation: Conducting training sessions, table-top exercises for first responders, and emergency drills for health facility staff to build and maintain response readiness.
- Public Awareness and Advocacy: Conducting activities, such as commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, to raise awareness regarding disaster preparedness.
- Syndromic Surveillance Monitoring: Oversight and monitoring of syndromic surveillance reports from designated reporting sites to identify potential health alerts requiring investigation and response.
The services of the Disaster Management & Emergency Response Program are primarily dispensed through the program’s proactive surveillance and reactive response mechanisms, triggered by alerts rather than direct public access points.
- Alert Reporting: Public health alerts regarding suspected unusual events, disease outbreaks, or notifiable conditions are reported through established channels from health facilities (clinics, hospitals) and communities to the NCDPHA.
- Response Activation: Upon assessment and verification of an alert, the program activates and dispatches the Rapid Response Team to the location requiring intervention.
The program’s Rapid Response Team is equipped to respond to callouts originating from and deploying to various locations including:
- All 27 clinics within the NCDPHA service delivery network.
- Major hospitals (e.g., Port Moresby General Hospital, Gerehu Hospital, Pacific International Hospital and other private health facilities).
- Communities and other locations within the National Capital District where public health emergencies occur.
Resources & Downloads
NCDPHA Outbreak Rapid Response Manual 2024 (PDF)
WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE):
https://www.who.int/emergencies/
WHO Outbreak Response:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases
Other Websites
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI):