Health Emergency Facility
UNICEF and partners are developing an innovative Health Emergency Facility which can be rapidly deployed to provide screening, isolation and essential care during disease outbreaks, preventing deadly epidemics from spreading further.
The challenge
In recent years, multiple crises have quickly overwhelmed health care systems, leaving them unable to cope with the sudden surges in patients, let alone provide essential health services.
In countries where health systems are already fragile, the rapid escalation of an infectious disease outbreak disproportionately increases the vulnerability of children and families.
Ebola outbreaks, cholera outbreaks, and the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted children and their families worldwide. These emergencies highlight the urgent need for rapidly deployable family-friendly surge health facilities to provide screening and isolation of patients in the event of a major disease outbreaks. This will ultimately prevent the further spread of deadly diseases.
The response
UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with support from the Téchne Network are developing a family-friendly Health Emergency Facility (HEF) which can be rapidly deployed and equipped in the event of future disease outbreaks.
Using guidelines and a digital planning tool, emergency programme staff will be able to identify, configure and customize health facilities from multiple pre-designed layouts for various types of disease outbreaks with specific considerations for children and their families. The tool will generate procurement lists including all components needed for operationalization, and items will be easily ordered through the WHO, UNICEF and MSF supply catalogues.
Digital decision tool
for inter-agency procurement planning and coordination, including pre-designed layouts and products lists that emergency staff can selected based on the needs for each location.
Products, equipment and structures
needed for establishing and operating HEFs, including new and innovative products to support the response.
Layouts with guidance
for setting up family-friendly surge facilities that ensure safe case management.
The development of a rapidly deployable HEF began in 2020. In 2022, UNICEF, alongside WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières, integrated the HEF into the Ebola response during Uganda’s worst outbreak in two decades.
"The 2022 Ebola outbreak provided an opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of UNICEF high-performance tents in a health emergency facility context. Within hours, we set up tents in treatment units in Ebola epicentres, isolating suspected cases while paying special attention to the well-being of children and families.”
Tom Akoko, Supply Assistant, UNICEF Uganda
The impact
With epidemics occurring more often and spreading faster and further than ever, having rapidly deployable health emergency facilities available will help prevent small disease outbreaks from becoming global pandemics, potentially saving millions of lives.
This initiative will help prevent existing heath systems from being overwhelmed by the vast increase of patients. It will also help ensure UNICEF, WHO, MSF, governments, and field partners will be better equipped to respond rapidly in sudden onset emergencies and ensure children and their families can receive the urgent health care they need.
Resources
Stories and media coverage
