Program on Infectious Disease and Humanitarian Emergencies

Disease outbreaks and epidemics during humanitarian emergencies superimpose a substantial burden on already vulnerable and fragile populations. Displacement of populations, overcrowding, limited access to clean water, disruption of sanitation facilities, and limited access to basic healthcare increase the spread of disease and outbreaks

The Program on Infectious Diseases and Humanitarian Emergencies aims to reduce the impact of infectious diseases in crises by:

  • Defining and supporting best practices in the humanitarian community
  • Conducting operational research and scholarship to inform humanitarian action
  • Convening national and international stakeholders to define research priorities and share best practice
  • Collaborating with NGOs, UN agencies, ministries of health, and academia
  • Educating the next generation of humanitarian actors have the skills and knowledge to prevent, detect, and control epidemics. 

Program Streams

Program Streams - Operational

Support NGOs, UN agencies, and health ministries to more effectively respond to emergencies by providing guidance and monitoring:

  • Conduct evaluation and operational research on the effectiveness of humanitarian response actions and programs
  • Develop field tools and templates to aid field workers rapidly assess epidemic risk in crises
  • Provide technical expertise to outbreak investigation and response in crises

Program Streams - Research

Better define the epidemiology of infectious diseases in humanitarian emergencies

  • Conduct and publish systematic reviews on the infectious diseases in crises
  • Identify priority research gaps

Priority research areas include: 

  • Acute respiratory infections in emergencies
  • Early warning epidemic surveillance in emergencies
  • Sociological research on effective community engagement in outbreaks/emergencies
  • Epidemics and crises in urban settings
  • Field diagnostics including multiplex PCR in health emergencies

Research implementation on outbreaks in crises

  • Assess gaps between published research and field practice
  • Develop collaborations to strengthen the links from research to policy to practice 

Program Streams - Education

On-line open-access course

  •  For health and public health practitioners to understand it

Non-listed open course

  • Combined HHI/LSHTM/WHO one-week intensive course for NGOs and other field practitioners

Listed/Harvard Course

  • HSPH/HMS on infectious diseases and humanitarian emergencies