Managing health in crisis situations

Abstract

The overall aim of this paper is to show that managing healthcare in a crisis situation is both a strategic and frustrating exercise. First, we'll attempt to define a humanitarian crisis situation, bearing in mind that one crisis can conceal others. We're thinking here of the interface between territorial and sectoral crises. Secondly, we'll take a look at who manages health in crisis situations, with what instruments and with which actors. Finally, by drawing on concrete examples from two crisis situations of different origin and scope, in this case Niger in 2005 and Darfur at the same time, we intend to outline future challenges in the field of health management in humanitarian crisis situations.

Emilienne Anikpo N'Tame

Emilienne Anikpo N'Tame, former lecturer and researcher at the University of Abidjan, then Director of the "Healthy Environment and Sustainable Development" Division at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, spent the last three years before her retirement working at WHO headquarters in the HAC - HQ Department. She was in charge of humanitarian emergency preparedness and the three-year global project to strengthen WHO's capacity in crisis situations, known as TYP. In this capacity, she helped define WHO's role in humanitarian crises, and participated in the design and implementation of TYP. In this context, several missions were carried out both with partners such as DFID and the European Union, in particular, and in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur, Egypt, Niger, Chad, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Thailand, the Philippines, etc.