We are pleased to share our Evidence Aid December 2023 bulletin. In this month’s bulletin, we will highlight some relevant summaries from our Resilient Health Systems (RHS) evidence collection, produced in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
However, before we delve into this month’s RHS summaries, we’d also like to remind you of our upcoming webinar on Wednesday December 13, 2023 at 10:30 AM EST titled: Strategic Approaches to Implementing Resilient Health Systems Frameworks in the Context of Emergencies and Disasters: insights from Advisors of the Resilient Health System evidence collection. Register now.
The webinar features an insightful panel discussion with advisors of the RHS collection, led by Xavier Bosch-Capblanch from Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. The panelists include Verônica Abdala and Juan Pablo Pagano from PAHO, Felipe Cruz Vega from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, and Jesse Uneke from Ebonyi State University.
We hope you find this month’s bulletin interesting, and we thank you for your continued support and reading. And, as usual, anyone who would like to be notified of the bulletin and/or newsletter’s release, please contact Jane Copsey (info@evidenceaid.org), or also for general questions or comments about our work. Finally, if you like our work and think it is important that we continue through 2023, please consider donating here.
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Risk analysis and safety assessment of hospitals against disasters caused by manmade natural hazards
This systematic review includes an examination of peer-reviewed studies on risk analysis and safety assessment in hospitals across low-, middle-, and high-income countries. The authors found that in low-income countries, risk analysis methods tended to be simple and qualitative, whereas in middle- and high-income countries, methods were complex and analytic. The most commonly used risk analysis method included the Hospital Safety Index. The authors’ found that hospital safety assessment and risk analysis, in combination with geographical, political, social, economic, and cultural details, can contribute to reducing hospital risk against both manmade and natural hazards.
Citation: Moradi SM, et al. Risk analysis and safety assessment of hospitals against disasters: A systematic review. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 2021;10:412.
You can find a full summary in the Resilient Health Systems collection.
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The concept of resilient health systems
In this summary of multiple systematic reviews, you will find several reviews related to the frameworks for resilient health systems and hospital resilience in humanitarian crises. All of the systematic reviews were published between 2022 and 2023, largely aiming at emphasizing the need for policy and preparedness plans that support effective health service deliveries during crises. One summary found that there were five phases of health system resilience including anticipation, preparation, response, recovery, and growth. Another examined the impact of hard and soft resilience, such as structural and non-structural aspects of a hospital combined with staff, community engagement, and information systems.
You can find a full summary in the Resilient Health Systems collection.
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Sexual and reproductive health interventions during humanitarian crises
Health emergencies can exacerbate already limited sexual and reproductive health services; however, such restrictions can be mitigated through home visits, peer-led education, counselling, and the training of lower-level healthcare workers or community health workers, according to this summary’s systematic review. What is uncertain, however, is the effects of these interventions on adolescents, LGTBQI+ populations, and people with disabilities. These gaps in research indicate a need for additional examination of sexual and reproductive health interventions in humanitarian crises, especially for the aforementioned target groups.
Thank you very much for reading this month’s bulletin. As a final reminder, anyone who would like to receive these bulletins directly or has questions about our work should contact Jane Copsey (info@evidenceaid.org). And, as a donor-based organization, we appreciate your continued support. If you think our work is important, please consider donating here.
From,
Your Evidence Aid team
