Report on Rapid Assessment of Emergency Preparedness Response in Nepal

Abstract

Background: Nepal has had numerous programs in emergency preparedness which have been running for a number of years. Despite of the number of programs, no comprehensive assessment has been done of the health sector to fully understand its level of readiness and the impact of the different programs. The overall objective of this rapid assessment is to identify the level of preparedness of the health sector of Nepal in responding to disasters. Methods: A generic tool has been already developed by WHO SEARO to assess the level of emergency preparedness in a country of South East Asian Region Member States. The preparation process included adapting the tools to the national context, conduction of the assessment and dissemination of the findings. Results: Natural Disaster Management Act is waiting for endorsement since 2008. Multi-sectoral coordination committees for emergency preparedness response are in place but the coordination system is not fully functional. Sub-national level does not have emergency budget. Private-Public partnership in emergencies is still weak and the code of conduct for international organizations in emergencies is not included in the national policies for Emergency Preparedness Response. Simulation and mock drill are not conducted for community health workers and community peoples. Surveillance system for water quality, food safety and security, sanitation and waste management is not developed and lack of data dissemination exists. Conclusions: Nepal still needs to do a lot to strengthen its capacity and capability to prepare and response to disaster situation. Keywords: emergency preparedness response; emergency preparedness; rapid assessment.