New Mental Health Guidelines Available

At their June 2007 meeting, the humanitarian assistance agencies forming the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) launched the Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. The Guidelines were reviewed by 27 participating agencies. The document lists the main steps for protecting and promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being of individuals. It covers treatment and care of people with severe disorders and providing immediate assistance for persons with critical problems.

The way humanitarian assistance is provided can have a significant impact on mental health and psychosocial well-being. The document emphasizes the importance of treating disaster victims with dignity and points out that it is essential to allow them to assist in recovery tasks.

The guidelines stress the importance of intervention and social support. Training educators, health workers, and women in communities to promote psychosocial well-being is an imperative. The complete document is available at www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc.

IStructE Prepares a Report
on the Earthquake in Peru

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) has published the preliminary reports from the earthquake of 15 August in Peru on its Web site.

A team comprised of three engineers, members of the Earthquake-Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT-IStructE), collected and analyzed information from areas affected by the earthquake, and made observations to help in the reconstruction process.

The Web site also contains reports from the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan. IStructE, founded in 1908, is one of the largest organizations in the world dedicated to structural engineering.

The documents can be downloaded from: www.istructe.org.

After the Tsunami–From Help
to Recovery

WHO’s Regional Office for South-East Asia has published From Relief to Recovery–The WHO Tsunami Operation, describing the efforts of the Organization to respond to the health needs that emerged after the tragedy, and which have become reference for emergency preparedness and response in that Region.

The publication shows the magnitude of the tragedy in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Thailand, and Myanmar. It can be downloaded from: www.searo.who.int.