Health Emergencies in Large Populations - The H.E.L.P. Course

1. Participants are able to use basic epidemiological concepts that are relevant in the field during acute and protracted crises

1.1. Participants are able to explain epidemiology's role in crisis situations and describe limitations encountered in applying it

• Defining epidemiology

  • Descriptive; analytical

    • What, who, where, when (person, place, time),

    • why/how (risk factors, causes)

• Application of epidemiology in crisis situations

  • Data for action

• Relevant data

  • Disaggregation of data Discussed in module Data collection, analysis and sharing

• Limitations in applying epidemiology in humanitarian settings

• Shift to evidence-based model in humanitarian crises

1.2. Participants are able to explain and interpret main health indicators used during humanitarian crises

• Common frequency measures

  • Proportion, rate, ratio

  • Methods used to estimate the number of affected people: Discussed in Module Data collection, analysis and sharing

• Incidence, incidence rate

  • Attack rate (cumulative incidence)

• Prevalence, prevalence rate

  • (True vs apparent prevalence)

  • Relation between prevalence, incidence and duration of a disease

• Case fatality rate /ratio Link to e.g. modules Outbreak investigation and control and Vaccine preventable diseases

• Mortality rates

  • Crude mortality rate (CMR)

  • Specific mortality rates, e.g. age specific (U5MR, ...), sex specific, cause specific

  • Methods used to collect mortality data -Discussed in module Health surveillance and early warning systems

  • Emergency thresholds -CRM, U5MR -Discussed in module Setting the scene, Surveillance and early warning systems

GAM /SAM are discussed in module Nutrition and livelihood support

• Proportional morbidity and mortality

• Case definition is addressed in different modules, e.g. Surveillance and EWAR, Outbreak investigation and response, Vaccine preventable diseases

• Sensitivity and Specificity are discussed in module Outbreak investigation and control