Accelerating Implementation of Sendai Framework in Ebola Affected Countries with Risk-Informed Health Systems

The Ebola outbreak that affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had severe socio-economic consequences. The affected countries have undertaken a remarkable effort to fight the devastating effects of the outbreak with the support of the international community. The focus now is on shifting from an emergency operation towards one of multi-faceted long-term rebuilding.

The Ebola Recovery Assessment (ERA) proposed four points to consider for immediate and long term recovery and rehabilitation efforts:

1. Restoring essential services in a safe and universally accessible manner;
2. Strengthening systems in general, in order of magnitude, not simply incrementally;
3. Improving pandemic preparedness and strengthening West African disease surveillance; and
4. Strengthening global health preparedness and the health response architecture.

These areas align with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-20301 and the health components outlined under each of its Priorities for Action. UNISDR aims to work with affected countries to build a more resilient health system that is better prepared to prevent new outbreaks and to face future shocks.

With financial support from the Government of Japan, UNISDR will provide support to countries in the implementation Priorities for Action 1 and 2 of the Sendai Framework, with emphasis on integration of Risk Management into the health sector including through:

1. practical guidelines and tools;
2. training and capacity enhancement;
3. technical support for understanding risk; and
4. facilitating partnerships in collaboration with, and in accordance to the needs of the respective governments and international partners. 

This training involves an inception presentation and project overview as well as technical training in DesInventar with a focus on Health Indicators. The training which builds on the Sendai Framework Priority 1, Understanding disaster risk, will consist of supporting countries to build their national disaster loss accounting system with health-related disaster losses and relevant disaggregated data and statistics, as well as in the incorporation of disaster-related mortality and morbidity data into national risk profiling. UNISDR will provide tools and technical advice to national counterparts for integrating DRR concepts into national health planning and strengthening of health system resilience.