Improving health outcomes in protracted and complex emergencies demands a 3-pronged approach that focuses on responding to immediate needs, rebuilding the health system, and preventing future emergencies. These 3 aspects of the approach have traditionally been divided between humanitarian, development and peace-building actors, with each group working independently with its own coordination, planning and resource mobilization mechanisms. Yet, activities carried out in one part of the humanitarian-development-peace triad may have consequences for the others.
In recent years, emergencies have become increasingly protracted and complex, and they are affecting more people and demanding more resources than ever before. Based on the “Triple Nexus” or humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPNx) approach, the new way of working involves leveraging the comparative advantage of each actor group and working over multi-year timeframes to achieve collective outcomes. This improves efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, continuity and sustainability, reduces service delivery gaps and the duplication of efforts, addresses the drivers of emergencies, and facilitates the transition from humanitarian response to stabilization, recovery and development.
HSEL by design is a “nexus” programme that aims to bring the WHO health systems, health emergencies and healthier populations programmes together in support of conflict-affected countries in the Region.
HSEL works with other programmes to institutionalize the nexus approach in the health sector’s planning and operations through providing evidence-based guidance and technically cooperating with countries to develop HDPNx strategies and country profiles. HSEL is a member of regional Issue Based Collation for Nexus (IBC/Nexus) and coordinates the work of the SDGs accelerator-themed working group on innovative programming in fragile and vulnerable settings, with the aim of promoting country-based collective actions to enhance response capacities to humanitarian crises and outbreaks, as well as progressively expand essential health services.
Related links
Bridging the divide: a guide to implementing the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus for health
Training Course: Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDPNx) for Health
Humanitarian development peace nexus for health profile: Libya, December 2020
Humanitarian development peace nexus for health profile: Yemen, October 2020
Humanitarian development peace nexus for health profile: Somalia, October 2020
Humanitarian development peace nexus for health profile: Afghanistan, February 2021
Humanitarian development peace nexus for health profile: Sudan, December 2020
Contact us
Dr Ali Ardalan
Regional Adviser and Head of Health systems in Emergencies
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