PUBLIC HEALTH Public Health is the Science and Art of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention. This helps improve the health and well-being of people in local communities and around the globe and works to prevent health problems before they occur. This is what OCD BASULTA is striving for: To have a better community free from harm and being aware of the risks around. Health pertains not only to the physical aspect but also to the mental and social well-being of an individual. Some may not be aware of the risks around them. They seemed cynical about it. There’s nothing to lose, to begin with. We may view disaster as one “huge tragedy”, but it’s not only that. Even a little thing may cause harm. Public health now comes in. How? Through PREVENTION, PROMOTION and PROLONGING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. That’s the key to having a healthier community. The Public Health Team aims to educate and disseminate valuable knowledge about issues that everybody knows but only few understand its meaning and purpose. We want the community to be aware and give appropriate actions when situation arises. There are Four (4) Important Issues/Topics that we want to share to the community and we hope that after giving them information they will be able to apply and incorporate it in their daily undertakings. 1. Family Disaster Planning 2. Animal Response and Sheltering 3. Person with Disability Protection 4. Child Protection
1
FAMILY DISASTER PLANNING A Family Disaster Plan is an emergency plan of not only an individual but every member of the family, including your pets, if you have. There are different types of emergencies, may it be natural disasters, large-scale accidents, terrorisms, or even communicable disease outbreaks. You may not be at risk for all of these emergencies, but still you have to be prepared and be aware of your environment. So how do you start? 1. Identify likely emergencies in your area 2. Creating your family disaster plan 3. Gather your emergency supplies/disaster supply kit 4. Practice the plan Always remember that emergencies happen anytime, anywhere, without warning. Mission: Safety and Security of every family in the community. Preparedness is the key for which every member must have and must practice. Vision: A year or two from now, every family in the community will be able to practice having a Family Disaster Plan in their homes. More likely, they will be able to integrate the importance of the plan in their daily lives. Objective/s: 1. Awareness of the Family Disaster Plan 2. Knowledge of the risks in your area 3. Involvement of every family member 4. Preparedness during emergencies
2
PERSON WITH DISABILITY PROTECTION “Full human development … is the optimal development of all that is human in all humans, the bringing to full flower of the native genius of each and of all.” (Jose W. Diokno) Physical impairment can not and should never be made a reason to undermine a person’s capabilities and/or capacities to perform “normally” and even, excellently in his/her own field. (Quintin B. Cueto III) People with disabilities include those with intellectual, physical, sensory (hearing, vision, and/or speech), psychiatric/mental illness, or acquired disabilities. People with disabilities are often marginalized and socially excluded. They tend to be older, poorer, less educated and have less employment opportunities than those without disabilities. In countries like Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, many people are disabled as a direct result of conflict – either as a result of combat wounds or due to landmine explosions. Access to justice for people with disabilities often means overcoming obstacles of discrimination, communication, and physical access. They are at a higher risk of becoming victims of crime and exploitation; they may be unknowingly used by others for criminal purposes; they may be denied opportunities because of their difference; and they may lack access to facilities and resources they need, including courts and other legal institutions. Mission: Awareness of the rights and privileges of the Person with Disability. Action is needed to keep them away from harm and making able persons understand their disabilities. Vision:
The community will be able to give fair judgment to the differently able individuals in their community. Less discrimination and more of understanding the situations they’re in. Objective/s: 1. Know the rights of the Person with Disability 2. Understand how they live in a normal environment 3. Awareness of the things that they can do more than the able ones 4. Participation in the community during disaster
3
CHILD PROTECTION Child protection is a special concern in situations of emergency and humanitarian crisis. Many of the defining features of emergencies – displacement, lack of humanitarian access, breakdown in family and social structures, erosion of traditional value systems, a culture of violence, weak governance, absence of accountability and lack of access to basic social services – create serious child protection problems. Emergencies may result in large numbers of children becoming orphaned, displaced or separated from their families. Children may become refugees or be internally displaced; abducted or forced to work for armed groups; disabled as a result of combat, landmines and unexploded ordnance; sexually exploited during and after conflict; or trafficked for military purposes. They may become soldiers, or be witnesses to war crimes and come before justice mechanisms. Armed conflict and periods of repression increase the risk that children will be tortured. For money or protection, children may turn to ‘survival sex’, which is usually unprotected and carries a high risk of transmission of disease, including HIV/AIDS. Who is a Child? “A child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”. Mission: Protection of the rights of a child and allowing him/her to have a family to love and care for him/her in a way as other children are being loved and cared for. Vision:
A healthy community is one where a child can play without thinking of any harm and doing the things other normal children do. Building a protective environment for children that will help prevent and respond to violence, abuse and exploitation Objective/s: 1. Encourage family stability a. Foster care b. Adoption services c. Services aimed at supporting at-risk families so they can remain intact, and investigation of alleged child abuse 2. Protect children and young people who are underage 3. Encouraging open discussion of child protection issues that includes media and civil society partners 4. Developing children’s life skills, knowledge and participation 5. Building capacity of families and communities 6. Providing essential services for prevention, recovery and reintegration, including basic health, education and protection 4
7. Establishing and implementing ongoing and effective monitoring, reporting and oversight GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT “A gender perspective should be integrated into all disaster risk management policies, plans and decision making processes, including those related to risk assessment, early warning, information management and education and training.” Hyogo Framework Mission: Bringing up the in unique capacities of women which form the basis for leadership and participation together with men in community based disaster risk management. Vision:
A community shall be able to practice equality among men and women and allowing them to freely participate in every endeavor that only men usually do. Objective/s: 1. Awareness on gender issues and concerns in local community based disaster risk management 2. Have a clear understanding of the concepts of gender and CBDRRM
5