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To enhance the Iran’s health system capacity in terms of human resource and evidence-based decision making and planning in emergencies and disasters mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Background
Department of Health in Emergencies & Disasters (HEAD) was established in 2006 to address the critical needs of Iran’s health system regarding disaster risk management. Based in National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and in association with School of Public Health of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, HEAD is the main academic partner of Emergency Management Center of Ministry of Health & Medical Education.
HEAD promotes proactive approach of public health to disaster risk reduction and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration among different fields of science and practice. HEAD has a country-wide network of faculty and staff with diverse backgrounds that includes epidemiology, emergency medicine, environmental health, nutrition, reproductive health, communicable diseases, engineering and health services.
HEAD’s main research areas are disaster metrics, community-based disaster risk management, integration of disaster risk management to primary health care and injury epidemiology.
The department has extensive collaboration with national and international organizations. Emergency Management Center in MOH&ME and National Crisis Organization are the main partners at the country level and WHO, UNDRR, UNDP and UNHCR are the UN agencies that HEAD collaborates with them on research and education.
In collaboration with School of Public Health, HEAD has an extensive curriculum in disaster health management, and was the first such program in the country to offer MPH with disaster concentration. PhD in disaster public health is the new program developed by HEAD and EMC that would accept students for 2011.
HEAD is the developer of the Disaster Supercourse based in University of Pittsburgh and has contributed in juts-in-time education of major disaster like south-Asia tsunami, Hurricane Karina and Haiti earthquake. HEAD has ongoing education or research programs with Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Boston University and George Washington University.
From 29 October 2010 to 8 April 2013 it was merged with Iran University of Medical Sciences.
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.