The EMDM Course

 

Emergencies and disasters affect all parts of the globe and cause harm to people, property, infrastructure, economies and the environment. If emergencies, and the hazards and vulnerability that cause them, are not effectively managed, then the goal of sustainable development is put at jeopardy. In particular, emphasis must be placed on preventing emergencies, and in preparing effective response for emergencies, at the national and sub-national level.

 

Effective emergency preparedness, built in at early stage, can establish the necessary structures and processes for an affected country to integrate humanitarian aid within its infrastructure in a cost-effective manner and without overruling the national government.
Unfortunately, disaster preparedness in developing countries is often the lowest priority.

 

I had worked in international development and humanitarian assistance for over 15 years when I decided to join the EMDM in 2004. I had worked in quite a number of emergencies in which the national government had lost all the control over the delivery of the assistance to their people, and I had witnessed first hand how this had led to chaos, to a further increase of the vulnerability and to a greater dependence from external aid.

 

When I heard about the EMDM I saw the opportunity of stepping up my knowledge in disaster preparedness. After so many years in delivering direct assistance, first as an anesthesiologist and intensive care physician, and then as an international aid worker, I wanted to take a different perspective and help the ones who are mandated to deliver assistance to their own people. I wanted to help less resourced governments in preparing for disasters.

 

I believe I was the only one in my course who was not working either in hospital or in emergency services in my own country. This obviously gave me a different angle as I had to take all the teaching and turning it into a learning that could be passed onto others in always different, and unknown at the time, contexts. It was a challenge but the rich teaching material and the first class professors helped overcome that challenge.

 

Since graduation in 2005, I have worked with United Nations Agencies in Myanmar, Sudan, Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Syria. Sometimes emergency preparedness and response was my primary role; other times it was part of a more comprehensive management role. Regardless, I put into practice what I learned during the EMDM, a course I am very proud of having joined and that I recommended to colleagues over the years.

 

Dr. Stefania Pace-Shanklin, MD, MPH, EMDM

June 2010

 

 

See also:
> EMDM video gallery > EMDM photo gallery