Prioritizing Strategies for Building the Resilience of Public Health Systems to Disasters Across Multiple Communities and Countries

Benjamin J. Ryan, Mayumi Kako, Shelby Garner, Rok Fink, Ismail Tayfur, Jonathan Abrahams, Sanjaya Bhatia, Adriana Campelo, Matthew Fendt, Alicia Fontenot, Nahuel Arenas Garcia, Tim Hatch, Ryoma Kayano, LaShonda Malrey-Horne, Makiko MacDermot, Md Moshiur Rahman, Chaverle Noel, Shuhei Nomura, Jeremy P. Novak, Maria Opazo, Kendell Oliver, Luciana Peters, Sohel Rahman, Perihan Şimşek, Andrew Stricklin, Raymond Swienton, Bryan W. Brooks

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science ›› 2024, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (1) : 1-17. DOI: 10.1007/s13753-024-00537-x
Article

Prioritizing Strategies for Building the Resilience of Public Health Systems to Disasters Across Multiple Communities and Countries

Author information +
History +

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to strengthen public health systems. In response, the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (Scorecard) was applied in workshops across multiple countries. The aim of our research was to explore the workshop findings to develop priority strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. We conducted a workshop from 14 to 16 March 2023, at the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea. A sequential modified Delphi method was utilized to develop a set of prioritized resilience strategies. These were drawn from 70 strategies identified from 13 distinct workshops in eight countries. After two surveys, 23 strategies were finalized. Ten received ratings of “High” or “Very High” from 89% of participants. These related to the inclusion of public health risks in emergency plans, integrating multidisciplinary teams into public health, enabling local transport mechanisms, and improving the ability to manage an influx of patients. The Scorecard provides an adaptable framework to identify and prioritize strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. By leveraging this methodology, our study demonstrated how resilience strategies could inform disaster risk reduction funding, policies, and actions.

Keywords

Health system resilience / Public policy / Resilience scorecard / Workshops

Cite this article

Download citation ▾
Benjamin J. Ryan, Mayumi Kako, Shelby Garner, Rok Fink, Ismail Tayfur, Jonathan Abrahams, Sanjaya Bhatia, Adriana Campelo, Matthew Fendt, Alicia Fontenot, Nahuel Arenas Garcia, Tim Hatch, Ryoma Kayano, LaShonda Malrey-Horne, Makiko MacDermot, Md Moshiur Rahman, Chaverle Noel, Shuhei Nomura, Jeremy P. Novak, Maria Opazo, Kendell Oliver, Luciana Peters, Sohel Rahman, Perihan Şimşek, Andrew Stricklin, Raymond Swienton, Bryan W. Brooks. Prioritizing Strategies for Building the Resilience of Public Health Systems to Disasters Across Multiple Communities and Countries. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(1): 1‒17 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-024-00537-x

References

[]
Abbas, J. 2021. Crisis management, transnational healthcare challenges and opportunities: The intersection of COVID-19 pandemic and global mental health. Research in Globalization 3: Article 100037.
[]
Algaissi AA, Alharbi NK, Hassanain M, Hashem AM. Preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: Building on MERS experience. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 2020, 13(6): 834-838, pmcid: 7211706
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Arsenault C, Gage A, Kim MK, Kapoor NR, Akweongo P, Amponsah F, Aryal A, Asai D, et al.. COVID-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries. Nature Medicine, 2022, 28(6): 1314-1324, pmcid: 9205770
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Assefa, Y., C.F. Gilks, R. van de Pas, S. Reid, D.G. Gete, and W.V. Damme. 2021. Reimagining global health systems for the 21st century: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Global Health 6(4): Article e004882.
[]
Assefa, Y., C.F. Gilks, S. Reid, R. van de Pas, D.G. Gete, and W. Van Damme. 2022. Analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons towards a more effective response to public health emergencies. Globalization and Health 18(1): Article 10.
[]
Barasa, E., R. Mbau, and L. Gilson. 2018. What is resilience and how can it be nurtured? A systematic review of empirical literature on organizational resilience. International Journal of Health Policy and Management 7(6): Article 491.
[]
Behrens DA, Rauner MS, Sommersguter-Reichmann M. Why resilience in health care systems is more than coping with disasters: Implications for health care policy. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, 2022, 74(4): 465-495,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Burkle FM, Bradt DA, Green J, Ryan BJ. Global public health database support to population-based management of pandemics and global public health crises, part II: The database. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2021, 36(1): 105-110,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Burkle FM, Bradt DA, Ryan BJ. Global public health database support to population-based management of pandemics and global public health crises, part I: The concept. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2021, 36(1): 95-104,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Chan, E.Y.Y., D. Guha-Sapir, C. Dubois, R. Shaw, and C.S. Wong. 2022. Challenges of data availability and use in conducting health-EDRM research in a post-COVID-19 world. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(7): Article 3917.
[]
Dalkey NC, Brown BB, Cochran S. . The Delphi method: An experimental study of group opinion, 1969 Santa Monica Rand Corporation
[]
Dianat, H., S. Wilkinson, P. Williams, and H. Khatibi. 2021. Planning the resilient city: Investigations into using “causal loop diagram” in combination with “UNISDR scorecard” for making cities more resilient. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 65: Article 102561.
[]
Dolley, S. 2018. Big data’s role in precision public health. Frontiers in Public Health 6: Article 68.
[]
Engzell, P., A. Frey, and M.D. Verhagen. 2021. Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(17): Article e2022376118.
[]
Feitelson, E., P. Plaut, E. Salzberger, D. Shmueli, A. Altshuler, S. Amir, and M. Ben-Gal. 2022. Learning from others’ disasters? A comparative study of SARS/MERS and COVID-19 responses in five polities. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 74: Article 102913.
[]
Forsgren, L., F. Tediosi, K. Blanchet, and D.D. Saulnier. 2022. Health systems resilience in practice: A scoping review to identify strategies for building resilience. BMC Health Services Research 22(1): Article 1173.
[]
Glaser, B.G., and A.L. Strauss. 1967. The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
[]
Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. 2020. A world in disorder: Global preparedness monitoring board annual report 2020. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/351720/9789240014121-eng.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 18 Jan 2023.
[]
Haldane V, De Foo C, Abdalla SM, Jung A-S, Tan M, Wu S, Chua A, Verma M, et al.. Health systems resilience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from 28 countries. Nature Medicine, 2021, 27(6): 964-980,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Hassan S-U-N, Zahra A, Parveen N, Khatoon F, Bangi NA, Hosseinzadeh H. Quality of life and adherence to healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional analysis. Patient Preference and Adherence, 2022, 16: 2533-2542, pmcid: 9488595
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Hasson F, Keeney S, McKenna H. Research guidelines for the Delphi survey technique. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2000, 32(4): 1008-1015,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Hogan AB, Jewell BL, Sherrard-Smith E, Vesga JF, Watson OJ, Whittaker C, Hamlet A, Smith JA, et al.. Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in low-income and middle-income countries: A modelling study. The Lancet Global Health, 2020, 8(9): e1132-e1141, pmcid: 7357988
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Hsu C-C, Sandford BA. The Delphi technique: Making sense of consensus. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 2007, 12(10): 1-8
[]
Jain, R., and P. Dupas. 2022. The effects of India’s COVID-19 lockdown on critical non-COVID health care and outcomes: Evidence from dialysis patients. Social Science & Medicine 296: Article 114762.
[]
Jones K, Pascale F, Wanigarathna N, Morga M, Sargin S. Critical evaluation of the customisation process of the UNDRR disaster resilience scorecard for cities to earthquake-induced soil liquefaction disaster events. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 2021, 19(10): 4115-4143,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Kruk ME, Myers M, Varpilah ST, Dahn BT. What is a resilient health system? Lessons from Ebola. The Lancet, 2015, 385(9980): 1910-1912,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Langan LM, O’Brien M, Rundell ZC, Back JA, Ryan BJ, Chambliss CK, Norman RS, Brooks BW. Comparative analysis of RNA-extraction approaches and associated influences on RT-qPCR of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a university residence hall and quarantine location. ACS ES&T Water, 2022, 2(11): 1929-1943,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Linde, H. van der, C.J. Hofstad, J. van Limbeek, K. Postema, and J.H. Geertzen. 2005. Use of the Delphi technique for developing national clinical guidelines for prescription of lower-limb prostheses. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 42(5): Article 693.
[]
Mohammadpour M, Zarifinezhad E, Ghanbarzadegan A, Naderimanesh K, Shaarbafchizadeh N, Bastani P. Main factors affecting the readiness and responsiveness of healthcare systems during epidemic crises: A scoping review on cases of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021, 46(2): 81-92,
Pubmed
[]
Msemburi W, Karlinsky A, Knutson V, Aleshin-Guendel S, Chatterji S, Wakefield J. The WHO estimates of excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature, 2022, 613(7942): 130-137, pmcid: 9812776
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Ørngreen R, Levinsen K. Workshops as a research methodology. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 2017, 15(1): 70-81
[]
Prommas, P., K.S. Lwin, Y.C. Chen, M. Hyakutake, C. Ghaznavi, H. Sakamoto, H. Miyata, and S. Nomura. 2023. The impact of social isolation from COVID-19-related public health measures on cognitive function and mental health among older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews 85: Article 101839.
[]
Roberton T, Carter ED, Chou VB, Stegmuller AR, Jackson BD, Tam Y, Sawadogo-Lewis T, Walker N. Early estimates of the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries: A modelling study. The Lancet Global Health, 2020, 8(7): e901-e908, pmcid: 7217645
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Rollston R, Galea S. . COVID-19 and the social determinants of health, 2020 Los Angeles SAGE Publications,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Ryan BJ, Franklin RC, Burkle FM, Smith EC, Aitken P, Watt K, Leggat PA. Ranking and prioritizing strategies for reducing mortality and morbidity from noncommunicable diseases post disaster: An Australian perspective. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2018, 27: 223-238,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Ryan BJ, Coppola D, Canyon DV, Brickhouse M, Swienton R. COVID-19 community stabilization and sustainability framework: An integration of the Maslow hierarchy of needs and social determinants of health. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2020, 14(5): 623-629,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Ryan BJ, Muehlenbein MP, Allen J, Been J, Boyd K, Brickhouse M, Brooks BW, Burchett M, et al.. Sustaining university operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2022, 16(5): 1901-1909,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
Ryan, B., M. Kako, R. Fink, P. Şimşek, P. Barach, J. Acosta, S. Bhatia, M. Brickhouse, et al. 2023. Strategies for strengthening the resilience of public health systems for pandemics, disasters, and other emergencies. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 17: Article e479.
[]
Ryan BJ, Telford V, Brickhouse M, Acosta J, Allen C, Bhatia S, Campbell J, Crowe C, et al.. Strengthening food systems resilience before, during and after disasters and other crises. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2023,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Sagan A, Greer SL, Webb E, McKee M, Muscat NA, Lessof S, de la Mata I, Figueras J. Strengthening health system resilience in the COVID-19 era. Eurohealth, 2022, 28(1): 4-8
[]
Sanchez-Betancourt D, Vivier E. Laher S, Fynn A, Kramer S. Action and community-based research: Improving local governance practices through the community scorecard. Transforming research methods in the social sciences: Case studies from South Africa, 2019 Johannesburg Wits University Press 375-392,
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Shamsuddin, A., A. Sheikh, and R.N. Keers. 2021. Conducting research using online workshops during COVID-19: Lessons for and beyond the pandemic. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406921104374.
[]
Splinter, M.J., P. Velek, M.K. Ikram, B.C.T. Kieboom, R.P. Peeters, P.J.E. Bindels, M.A. Ikram, F.J. Wolters, et al. 2021. Prevalence and determinants of healthcare avoidance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based cross-sectional study. PLoS Medicine 18(11): Article e1003854.
[]
Tambo E, Djuikoue IC, Tazemda GK, Fotsing MF, Zhou X-N. Early stage risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies and measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis. Global Health Journal, 2021, 5(1): 44-50,
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[]
UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). 2020a. Disaster resilience scorecard for cities—Public health system resilience addendum. Geneva: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. https://mcr2030.undrr.org/public-health-system-resilience-scorecard. Accessed 11 March 2023.
[]
UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). 2020b. NDRR GETI and WHO Webinar—Resilience of local governments: A multi-sectoral approach to integrate public health and disaster risk management. Geneva: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. https://www.undrr.org/event/undrr-geti-and-who-webinar-resilience-local-governments-multi-sectoral-approach-integrate. Accessed 11 Mar 2023.
[]
UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). 2023. Resilience. https://www.preventionweb.net/terminology/resilience. Accessed 16 Sept 2023.
[]
Vlachos, J., E. Hertegård, and H. Svaleryd. 2021. The effects of school closures on SARS-CoV-2 among parents and teachers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(9): Article e2020834118.
[]
WHO (World Health Organization). . Health emergency and disaster risk management framework, 2019 Geneva World Health Organization
[]
WHO (World Health Organization). 2023. Systematically identifying and evaluating strategies for strengthening community resilience. Geneva: World Health Organization Centre for Health Development. https://extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/en/project-details/h-edrm_2021_BU. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[]
Williams, P., and D. Sands. 2020. UN city disaster resilience scorecard. In Resilience: An edited collection of authored pieces comparing, contrasting, and integrating risk and resilience with an emphasis on ways to measure resilience, ed. M.-V. Florin, and I. Linkov, 248–253. Lausanne, Switzerland: École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, International Risk Governance Center (IRGC). https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/228206?ln=en. Accessed 3 Nov 2023.
[]
Wright N, Fagan L, Lapitan JM, Kayano R, Abrahams J, Huda Q, Murray V. Health emergency and disaster risk management: Five years into implementation of the Sendai framework. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2020, 11(2): 206-217, pmcid: 7223383
CrossRef Google scholar
[]
Xie, J., S. Sreenivasan, G. Korniss, W. Zhang, C. Lim, and B.K. Szymanski. 2011. Social consensus through the influence of committed minorities. Physical Review E 84(1): Article 011130.

Accesses

Citations

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/