The use of epidemiological tools in conflict-affected populations: open-access educational resources for policy-makers

Table of Contents

1. Welcome
2. Introduction: Epidemiology in crises
3. Ethical issues in data collection
4. Need for epidemiologic competence
5. Surveys - Introduction
6. Surveys - Description of sampling methods
7. Surveys - Sampling error, bias, accuracy, precision, & sample size
8. Surveys - Resources required for surveys
9. Surveys - Critiquing survey reports
10. Surveillance - When to do surveillance
11. Surveillance - Methods
12. Surveillance - Common problems
13. Programme data
14. Rapid assessment
15. Mortality - Indicators and their measurement
16. Mortality - Data sources
17. Mortality - Interpretation and action
18. Nutrition - Introduction and background
19. Nutrition - Indicators and their measurement
20. Nutrition - Data sources
21. Nutrition - Interpretation and action
22. Health services
23. Vaccination programmes
24. Water supply, sanitation, and shelter
    1. Introduction
    2. Water supply, sanitation, and shelter - Indicators
    3. Water supply indicators
    4. Sanitation indicators
    5. Shelter indicators
25. Violence
26. Presentation of results
27. Formulating conclusions and recommendations
28. Dissemination and action

Introduction

(go to Outline)

Water supply, sanitation, and shelter have a substantial effect on health and nutritional status. Inadequate water may restrict washing, leading to person-to-person transmission of disease-causing organisms and increased skin diseases. Poor quality water itself may transmit diarrhoea-causing organisms. Poor sanitation leads to a higher level of organisms in the environment which may result in increased transmission of diarrheal disease. Inadequate shelter can expose residents to vectors carrying malaria, yellow fever, and other communicable diseases. In cold climates, exposure to cold is a risk factor for pneumonia.

Moreover, inadequate provision of these life essentials can greatly increase stress in the population. Especially distressing is inadequate water supply, crowded shelter, or inadequately protective shelter. A more complete discussion of the requirements of a newly displaced population can be found in emergency manuals from the Sphere Project manual (click here to open document), the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees manual Handbook for Emergencies (click here to open document), and the UNICEF manual Emergency Field Handbook: A Guide for UNICEF Staff (click here to open document).