Emergency Health

and Nutrition
Training

Key Messages

Public Health Priorities in

the Emergency Phase:
(adapted from 10 priorities of MSF refugee health book 1997)

1. Initial Rapid Assessment

2. Measles Immunization
3. Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Promotion
4. Food & Nutrition including
Infant Feeding in Emergencies
5. Shelter, Site Planning &
Energy
6. Minimum Initial Service
Package (MISP) for
Reproductive Health in Crisis
situations
The priorities in Bold are Save the Children priorities

7. Health Care Service in

Emergency Phase
8. Control of Communicable
Disease & disease outbreaks
9. Public Health Surveillance
10. Human Resources & Training
11. Coordination/Camp
Management

Mortality
Thresholds
Crude mortality rate (CMR)
> 1 death/ 10,000 people/day
Or doubling of baseline CMR

< 5 mortality rate (<5 MR)

> 2 deaths/ 10,000 children/day
Or doubling of baseline U5 MR
The emergency response should aim to reduce the mortality rate to
below the threshold level

Rapid Health Assessment

Data Needs in the
Emergency Phase
1.
2.
3.
4.

Background; social, political, economic data

Background health data
Affected population size and demographics
Vital health information
Mortality rates
Top 5 causes of Morbidity
Risks for disease outbreaks
Measles vaccination coverage (>95% or <95%)
Acute malnutrition level
Access to health services (primary, referral,
and secondary) human resources, medical
supplies
Health practices (BF habit, delivery practice)
5. Environmental conditions water, shelter,
sanitation