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Primary Health Care in War and Disaster and the NorAid System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Rannveig Bremer Fjaer
Rannveig Bremer Fjaer*
Affiliation:
Joint Medical Services of the Norwegian Armed Forces
*
Joint Medical Services of the Norwegian Armed Forces Oslo mil/Huseby 0016 Oslo, Norway
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Abstract

When the infrastructure in a community is destroyed by manmade or natural disaster, even the simplest health services may be difficult to maintain. By the Alma Ata declaration, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed, “Health for all by the year 2000.” The program is designed to cover the basic health needs as defined by the Primary Health Care (PHC) system. Therefore, a most important issue in a disaster, is to support, maintain, and rebuild the PHC system, to secure the population's basic health services.

Relevant and rapid aid is of great importance in disaster. The physical and psychological strain caused by disaster will increase the need for medical care compared to that during normal times. Child mortality and maternal complications will rise, Many of the 12 million children, who die every year, die as a result of war, refugee conditions, and/or other types of disaster.

The NorAid system is equipment composed to provide PHC, with special emphasis on vulnerable groups e.g., women and children. Provided the medical skills are available, it also may function as a hospital. The system already has been used in many countries, and has been found to be relevant, practical, and relatively cheap compared to the benefits achieved.

Keywords

disasterprimary health careunder-five mortality rate
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 1997 , pp. 10 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1997

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