Natural and man-made disasters - including earthquakes, floods, chemical and nuclear incidents, and warfare - occur throughout the world, often without warning. Self-evidently, the extent of the resulting emergency and the toll taken on the health of affected populations and on their social and economic life depend on the nature and severity of the original disastrous event. However, careful forward planning and preparedness to deal with emergencies can significantly reduce numbers of deaths, levels of disease, and general disruption to community life.

Any programme of disaster prevention and preparedness should promote optimum coordination between the various governmental, nongovernmental, and private organizations involved. This manual is therefore aimed primarily at local managers and decision-makers in the various sectors, including health, that need to cooperate in the process. It provides an overall view of all aspects of disaster management, including policy development, vulnerability assessment, identification, description, and ranking of potential hazards, analysis of available resources, definition of the roles and responsibilities of different groups and individuals, training, and public education. Guidance on the monitoring and evaluation of preparedness programmes is also included. The emphasis throughout is on action at the community level, since it is local people who are usually first on the scene of any emergency and who have the greatest knowledge of the local environment and potential hazards.

Price: Sw. fr. 42.-
Price in developing countries: Sw. fr. 29.40
ISBN 92 41545194