Reference Manual for Humanitarian Health Professionals

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.