Healthcare system status
Once an understanding of the health system / facilities are mapped if there has been any impact on the functioning of the facilities this needs to be visualised. There are specific categories that functioning can be divided into:
Functioning
Partially functioning
Not functioning
Unknown
Where more specific details of the level of damage / function these should be included to give a full picture of the current healthcare system.
Strategic or operational?
Both
Basemap, baseline or situational?
Baseline and Situational
When might it be produced?
These maps can be produced as soon as the information is available and also updated as the latest information is released. It will be important to ensure that no report of damaged is distinguished from a report where no damage have been sustained.
Intended audience
Invariably health is linked to many other vulnerabilities and is impacted by all eleven clusters in the UN system (sectors of the humanitarian system that help to coordinate a humanitarian response), in particular:
Nutrition
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Logistics - transport / access
The intended audience includes a variety of actors either directly involved in health, or those supporting health needs:
Ministry of Health / Department for Health
National Health Care Providers
Local Government
Civil Society / Community Organisations
Affected communities / population
National and International health related NGOs
National Red Cross / International Federation of Red Cross
World Health Organisation
Emergency Medical Teams /Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cell
Influence on humanitarian decisions
Will be dependent on if the maps are strategic, operational or both and will vary by intended audience. To be updated based on planned expert interviews.
Methods
Access to timely and accurate data is essential for a health response. It is important to get the best available data although it may not always be perfect.
When mapping the health system / facilities status it will be important to ensure that no report of damaged is distinguished from a report where no damage have been sustained.
Robust information management and governance is essential when accessing, storing and visualising health data. The agreed use of the data must be established and recorded from the outset.
A process of data manipulation may be required to ensure individuals, families or villages can not be identified. A number of methods can be used to achieve this including the suppression of small numbers, aggregation of data to a higher level and minimising the use of other data / detail on a map that could make identification easier. These checks must be in place to ensure patient’s right to privacy and dignity are maintained.
Data
Health facilities by type
Health facilities by type and level of care provided
Health Facilities operational status
Resources
Global Health Cluster
World Health Organisation
Emergency Medical Teams
Health Resource Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS)
Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS)
The Sphere Handbook - Minimum standards in Health action
Multi-Cluster / Sector Initial Rapid Needs Assessment (MIRA)
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Ministry of Health / Department of Health (country specific)
ACAPS
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