The Eastern Mediterranean Region is experiencing health emergencies on an unprecedented scale. More than half the countries in the Region face significant challenges in delivering basic health care. Children and adolescents are more seriously affected than most other population groups. Protecting them effectively requires a focus not only on service provision, but also on the programmatic aspects of basic child and adolescent care. WHO is working to support countries in developing and adopting the comprehensive response that is needed.
The Child and adolescent health in humanitarian settings operational guide is part of that work. It aims to ensure that the needs and concerns of children and adolescents are duly considered in emergency preparedness and response efforts. Based on current technical guidance on child and adolescent health, and aligned with existing humanitarian frameworks, the operational guide sets out a straightforward, systematic and action-oriented approach to protecting and caring for children and adolescents during humanitarian crises. Its four interrelated programmatic actions ensure the continuity and sustainability of interventions and cover the broad spectrum of emergency settings, with scope for adaptation to different country circumstances. The guide can be used to support operational planning, upscale staff capacity, and advocate for prioritizing child and adolescent services in contexts where many priorities compete for policy-makers’ attention. Its target audience includes health programmers and partners at all levels striving to strategically place child health services within humanitarian settings, aiming for a coordinated response based on reality on the ground.
The guide has been carefully designed to address the needs of countries in the Region, as identified through a systematic literature review and a rapid online survey. The content was developed by the Child and Adolescent Health team in coordination with the Health Emergencies Department in the WHO Regional Office, with significant input from other WHO technical units and a wide range of external stakeholders. It was then refined through extensive consultation and field testing, and a workbook has also been created to facilitate implementation of the guide.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the WHO Member States, UN agencies and international nongovernmental organizations who contributed to the development of this guide. Special thanks are due to Dr Hamish Graham of the Royal Children’s Hospital and University of Melbourne, Australia, and his team for their significant input.
I look forward to supporting Member States in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region in implementing this guide and delivering systematic and sustained improvement in child and adolescent health.