In October 2007, CORE Group began work on a Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness (H2P) Initiative with several partners, including: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), CORE Group, Academy for Educational Development (AED), InterAction, and the United Nations.
The overall goal of H2P is to build humanitarian response networks and ready-to-use tools to enable community-level response to a pandemic event.
The project comes at an opportune time, as the World Health Organization raised the H1N1 pandemic threat alert to level 6 (of six possible levels) in June 2009, declaring the first influenza pandemic in over 40 years.
As a key partner in this initiative, CORE Group focuses on:
- strengthening the capability of CORE member organizations to minimize human morbidity and mortality due to an influenza pandemic in high-risk, vulnerable areas in which NGOs operate,
- developing the necessary local partnerships for effective action, and
- sharing lessons learned with global partners to develop and inform overall pandemic preparedness guidelines.
CORE Group is directly supporting NGO work in five H2P countries (Nepal, Egypt, Mali, Ethiopia, and Uganda) and more broadly supporting NGO involvement in over 20 countries through partnership with global H2P partners, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and UN Agencies, among others.
Learn More About the H2P Initiative
Visit the H2P website: http://www.pandemicpreparedness.org/
Call to Action
WHO, IFRC, UNSIC, OCHA and UNICEF, prompted by the humanitarian imperative, will work with partners such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, NGOs and civil society to support governments and communities to reduce the impact from the pandemic (H1N1) 2009
Publication date: 17 August 2009
Availabile in English, Arabic, Spanish, and French
H2P Resources
Planning Tools
- H2P Country Planning Template (May 2009) Pandemic Planning Template for national level stakeholders
- District Planning Guidance and Template (May 2009) This guidance aims to assist leaders in the development or revision of humanitarian-sector contributions to district-level pandemic preparedness and response planning. It is directly linked to H2P guidance for national-level planning.
Training Tools
**H2P Community Planning and Response Curriculum**
To minimize morbidity and mortality in the event of a pandemic, the H2P Initiative has developed a training curriculum for district- and community-level leaders, and community-level first responders, such as community heath workers and volunteers.
Communication & Advocacy Tools
Additional PANDEMIC Resources
PowerPoint: Pandemic Influenza: Current Threat
Part I: Epidemiology, History, and Current Threat (Updated Dec 2009)
Part II: Mitigation Strategies (Updated Dec 2009)
Part III: Additional Slides (Updated August 17, 2009)
Selected UN/WHO/CDC/ECDC Documents
WHO/UNICEF Family Level Messages & Communications (June 2009)
WHO Guidance on Public Health Measures (June 2009)
Guide to Public Health Measures to Reduce the Impact of Influenza Pandemics in Europe (September 2006)
Reducing Transmission of Pandemic (H1N1) in School Settings (WHO, September 2009)
2009 H1N1 Flu and You (CDC, September 2009)
Homecare Guidance (CDC, Dec 2009)
Additional Key Technical Guidance Documents
Prioritization of Health Services
This document provides a brief summary of key health services to maintain during a pandemic. It addresses prevention programs; treatment for acute communicable diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhea, fever and malaria; and priority outpatient programs addressing acute malnutrition, TB, HIV/AIDS, and reproductive health. More detailed guidance on prioritization of health services can be found in WHO Reducing Excess Mortality from Common Illnesses during an Influenza Pandemic - 2008.
Resources from CORE Member NGOs
CARE's Pandemic and Avian Flu Blog
Save the Children Pandemic Flu Resources
World Vision: Planning Guidelines and Toolkit for Avian and Pandemic Flu
Guidance on Business Continuity Planning
Quick Reference for Business 2009 H1N1 Flu Planning and Response (CDC, August 2009)
Preparedness Planning for US Businesses with Overseas Operations, 4 pages, Jan. 5, 07
Government of New Zealand Pandemic Flu Business Continuity Planning Guide, October 2005 (an excellent 68-page resource with practical tools)
Business Continuity Plan: Infectious Diseases. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Recordings from CORE Group On-Line Sessions
H1N1 Influenza - Three-Part Series - July 2009
Novel Influenza A(H1N1) Two Part Series - May 2009
Pandemic Influenza: Epidemiology & Mitigation, History and Current Threat - March 2009
Presentations from CORE Group Meetings
Community-Level Training Tools and Resources for NGOs in Pandemic Influenza Readiness & Response
Thursday, September 10th 2009
Pandemic Influenza: Epidemiology & Mitigation, History & Current Threat - Eric Starbuck, CORE Group
Demonstration of New Community-level Training Tools and Planning Templates - Whitney Pyles, CORE Group
Adult Education Principles Used in H2P Curriculum Design - Joan Haffey, Consultant, CORE Group
More Presentations from CORE Group Meetings