Duration: 1 day- 4 Hours

Language: English & Greek

Certificate of Attendance

Level: Basic – Introductory

 

Many researchers recognize that, public health emergencies either linked to communicable diseases spread or climate change and extreme weather conditions, technological accidents, the release of chemical or biological agents or other natural disasters, have serious impacts  not only on human health, but  also on the well-being and development of society, heavily affecting economic and social activity and disrupting  political stability and order (indicatively: Keim, 2008, Farley and Weisfuse, 2011, Suk, et all., 2014, Kluge, et all., 2018).

Recent studies (WHO 2019) estimate total deaths due to infectious diseases globally to be at 4.3 million people, with the expected annual financial losses to reach the amount of approximately $ 500 billion, while existing assessments by the European Commission (EU Communication Paper -Risk Management Committee, Brussels: 2014) underline that only for the decade between 2002-2012, natural disasters were the cause of over 100,000 deaths averagely per year, while the financial losses  exceeded the amount of 100 billion €  per year, over the same period.

The rapidly worldwide spreading of the current COVID-19 pandemic which leaves hundred thousands of victims, the Ebola epidemic in 2014-2016, the terrorist attacks at the heart of Europe in recent years, the extreme weather conditions caused by climate change such as  “ Dorian Hurricane” or the fatal forest fires in Greece just a year ago, are only a few of the many examples where the emergency response mechanisms have been severely tested at all levels of command, whereas existing health systems reached  or even exceeded  their response limits and capacities.

During this basic training program, the existing legislative framework, both  binding and non-binding provisions, as well as current guidelines that explicitly define the standing terms and conditions for Public Health Emergency Management at national, european and international level,  will be presented and analysed. The participating professionals will have the opportunity to gain basic knowledge at the crisis management field, being able to analyse and evaluate currently existing mechanisms, which support countries to their ongoing effort to prevent, identify early and respond quickly and effectively to a broad variety of threats in the most appropriate way and to build safe and resilient health systems.

Examples of the above mentioned subjects are the International Health Regulations, the EU Decision 1082/2013 on serious cross-border health threats, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the WHO Emergency Response Framework, the recent legislative framework for the National Risk Management and Response Mechanism and many more.

 

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

  • To understand basic concepts in Public Health Emergency and Crisis Management
  • To describe and analyse the existing legislative framework for Public Health Emergency and Crisis Management at national, European and international level
  • To describe and analyse currently existing guidelines for Public Health Emergency Management
  • To describe and analyse the role of International Organizations, competed Bodies and Agencies in the field of acute public health events management of international concern
  • To determine terms and conditions for Public Health Emergency and Crisis Management operational preparedness and response procedures deployment

 

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

  • Undergraduate and postgraduate Health Sciences students
  • Doctors / Nurses and other Health Professionals of both Public and Private Sector
  • Ministry of Health and Supervised Health Sector Agencies Personnel
  • Prefectural and Local Government Employees and Municipality Police Officers
  • Other Professionals involved in Health and Safety issues at Health Services