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
    1. Definition and goals
    2. Methods
    3. Questions answered by rapid assessment
    4. Guidelines and manuals
    5. Problems and difficulties
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
25. Violence
26. Presentation of results
27. Formulating conclusions and recommendations
28. Dissemination and action

Guidelines and manuals

(go to Outline)

Although there are guidelines and manuals for conducting rapid assessment, the methods and procedures may be very different in different situations, depending on the acuteness of the emergency, the population involved, the time available for the assessment, etc.

Some guidelines include:

Click here for "Humanitarian Policy Group. According to need? Needs assessment and decision-making in the humanitarian sector". ODI, 2003

Oxfam Public Health Assessment Tool v.2 (Sorry, this is not available electronically or on the internet)

WHO. Rapid Health Assessment Protocols for Emergencies. WHO 1999. (Click here to go to the website) to order this publication.)

UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Initial rapid assessment tool: Field assessment fool. (If you have an internet connection, click here to download the entire toolkit.)