Medical and Operational Aspects of Disaster Management

This special collection focuses on health policy research targeted at improvement of emergency management and disaster medicine. In a world facing a growing frequency of natural and human-induced emergencies, including those driven by the global climate change, there is a pressing need to describe best practices and deduce implications for health policy to save lives, prevent injuries, and promote greater readiness. Topics of relevance to this collection include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Framework and Best Practices of Emergency Medical Teams: This theme will explore developing and implementing effective frameworks and best practices for Emergency Medical Teams dispatched to provide medical aid to disaster-stricken areas. It will highlight lessons learned, challenges faced, and strategies for optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of such teams. 2. Promotion of Health Behavior in the Context of Household Adjustment to Disasters: This theme will examine health behavior promotion within households during and after disasters. It will delve into the role of public policy in fostering resilient communities, facilitating risk communication, and encouraging adaptive behaviors that enhance preparedness and recovery at the household level to reduce injury and burden on the healthcare system in the aftermath of disasters. 3. Promoting an Interdisciplinary Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction in the Healthcare System: This theme will focus on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in disaster risk reduction within the healthcare system. It will explore successful models, identify barriers to collaboration, and propose strategies to overcome these challenges to ensure a coordinated and efficient response to disasters. 4. Training and Exercises of Healthcare Systems for Disasters and Emergencies: This section will investigate the training and exercises conducted by healthcare systems to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities. It will address the development and evaluation of training programs, simulation exercises, and drills aimed at improving the resilience of healthcare facilities, professionals, and support systems and their impact on sustainable levels of knowledge and competencies of healthcare workers.