Post-Disaster Needs Assessment Guidelines

Overview

This document provides guidance to national and international stakeholders involved in the health sector part of the Post Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNA) and recovery planning. While PDNAs strive for consistency in methods, they also need to be adapted to each specific country. The guidance is based on an integrated approach undertaking the PDNA process. Updates and additional tools for PDNAs and guidance for recovery in the health sector can be found on the websites of the International Recovery Platform2, ECLAC 3, World Bank (WB) Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) 4, WHO 5 and PAHO 6.

This guidance brings together the four components that are needed for a comprehensive PDNA analysis;

1. Health infrastructure and assets
2. Delivery of health services, access to and changes in demand for services
3. Health governance processes
4. Vulnerability and health risks of the affected population

These elements will be used consistently for the description of the pre-disaster baseline, the effects of the disaster, the estimation of the economic value of damage and loss, the disaster’s impact on the economy and human development, and what is needed for a recovery and reconstruction strategy, including elements of building back better and it’s costing.

Recovery and reconstruction should not only aim at restoring the health system to its pre disaster conditions, but also to address underlying vulnerabilities that may have contributed to the extent of the disaster’s effects, to strengthen the resilience of the health system and communities to manage better future disasters and their risks to health.