Strengthening Primary Health Care: Emergency and Disaster Preparedness in Community with Multidisciplinary Approach

The increasing number of disasters and communities affected, coupled with the threats from climate change, has drawn not only national but also international attention to the risks of disasters and what can be done about them. It is important for communities and all global partners to be more prepared by taking action before disasters occur through disaster risk reduction, including the efforts of emergency preparedness, as well as through disaster response and recovery. To meet the emergency public health needs in any population, there is no other option than strengthening the primary health care system. For this goal, practitioners from various professions can work together and share an affinity in synthesizing knowledge and bridging gaps across functional areas. These include the disaster risk assessment and preparedness involving several disciplines for limiting human and material damage. This primary health care strategy with a multidisciplinary approach is the best possible method in developing improved approaches for disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness by improving health emergency management plans and protocols. Copyright © 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.