1P-SS1-09

DISASTER RESPONSE FOR CHILDREN: A PEDIATRIC CALL TO ACTION

Schaller JG¹

¹New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Discussion: A significant number of children around the world have the misfortune of becoming victims of natural or manmade disasters. Such children can suffer physical and psychosocial damage, to say nothing of the severe disruption of their families, their communities and their lives. The standard humanitarian response to such emergencies rarely includes trained health personnel who are particularly skilled in and devoted to the care of children. The International Pediatric Association, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, plans to develop a standard international curriculum for the training of pediatricians in response to emergencies in conjunction with people and organizations who have expressed interest in humanitarian relief for children. This course will be offered to national pediatric societies around the world. A registry of such trained pediatricians will be made available to UNICEF and other international organizations for provision of children’s health personnel to assist with humanitarian relief efforts. This initiative will also include mechanisms for updating training at regular intervals and will use public advocacy to call attention to the special needs of children in disasters.