Liberia national disaster preparedness coordination exercise: Implementing lessons learned from the West African disaster preparedness initiative

Authors

  • Melinda J. Morton Hamer, MD, MPH
  • Paul L. Reed, MD
  • Jane D. Greulich, MPH
  • Charles W. Beadling, MD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2017.0256

Keywords:

civil military, humanitarian aid, disaster preparedness, Ebola response

Abstract

Objective: In light of the recent Ebola outbreak, there is a critical need for effective disaster management systems in Liberia and other West African nations. To this end, the West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative held a disaster management exercise in conjunction with the Liberian national government on November 24-25, 2015.

Design: During this tabletop exercise (TTX), interactions within and between the 15 counties and the Liberian national government were conducted and observed to refine and validate the county and national standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Setting: The exercise took place in three regional locations throughout Liberia: Monrovia, Buchanan, and Bong. The TTX format allowed counties to collaborate utilizing open-source software platforms including Ushahidi, Sahana, QGIS, and KoBoCollect.

Participants: Four hundred sixty-seven individuals (representing all 15 counties of Liberia) identified as key actors involved with emergency operations and disaster preparedness participated in the exercise.

Main Outcome Measures: A qualitative survey with open-ended questions was administered to exercise participants to determine needed improvements in the disaster management system in Liberia.

Results: Key findings from the exercise and survey include the need for emergency management infrastructure to extend to the community level, establishment of a national disaster management agency and emergency operations center, customized local SOPs, ongoing surveillance, a disaster exercise program, and the need for effective data sharing and hazard maps.

Conclusions: These regional exercises initiated the process of validating and refining Liberia's national and county-level SOPs. Liberia's participation in this exercise has provided a foundation for advancing its preparedness, response, and recovery capacities and could provide a template for other countries to use.

Author Biographies

Melinda J. Morton Hamer, MD, MPH

Center for Global Health Engagement, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Center for Refugee and Disaster Response, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

Paul L. Reed, MD

Center for Global Health Engagement, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland

Jane D. Greulich, MPH

Center for Global Health Engagement, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland

Charles W. Beadling, MD

Center for Global Health Engagement, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland

References

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Published

01/01/2017

How to Cite

Morton Hamer, MD, MPH, M. J., P. L. Reed, MD, J. D. Greulich, MPH, and C. W. Beadling, MD. “Liberia National Disaster Preparedness Coordination Exercise: Implementing Lessons Learned from the West African Disaster Preparedness Initiative”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 35-41, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2017.0256.

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Section

Articles