2.2. Organization
2.2.2. Sectoral and multisectoral integration
Because the health sector is a key player at the national level in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian assistance, mechanisms must be in place to integrate their role and responsibilities into the mandate of all health sector institutions and to ensure proper coordination with the other sectors that make up the nation’s disaster risk management system.
The participation of the health sector in the preparation of national risk reduction plans—in which multisectoral priorities are set—will help ensure that priority is given to critical issues such as the safety of health facilities and the uninterrupted provision of health services—since the availability of health services is indispensable in emergencies. The contribution of the health sector in the design of disaster response plans will ensure that the affected population’s pre-existing levels of health are restored as quickly as possible.
It is a good practice to maintain a database of all the national and international agencies that are working in the country in risk reduction and disaster response. Experience has shown the value of developing agreements and establishing working relationships that facilitate good coordination before disasters occur. Relying on coordination to come into play only when a disaster strikes, in the absence of prior familiarity with the operational capacities of all the actors, can lead to chaos. Coordination cannot be improvised.
More specifically, the health sector technical unit charged dealing with emergencies should have an ongoing coordination relationship with the multisectoral agency responsible for disaster response; this coordination should actively take place not only at the national level but at the sub-national and local levels too. The health sector’s participation in intersectoral programs organized by the national response agency will strengthen coordination.
