The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening health systems worldwide, requiring extraordinary efforts to contain the virus and prepare health care systems for unprecedented situations. In this context, the entire health care workforce must be properly trained to guarantee an effective response. Just-in-time training has been an efficient solution for rapidly equipping health care workers with new knowledge, skills, and attitudes during emergencies; thus, it could also be an effective training technique in the context of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the unexpected magnitude of this health crisis, the health care workforce must be trained in 2 areas: (1) basic infection prevention and control, including public health skills that are the core of population-based health management and (2) disaster medicine principles, such as surge capacity, allocation of scarce resources, triage, and the ethical dilemmas of rationing medical care. This Perspective reports how just-in-time training concepts and methods were applied in a tertiary referral hospital in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Italy, one of the hardest hit places in the world. The COVID-19 just-in-time training was designed to provide hospital staff with the competencies they need to work proficiently and safely inside the hospital, including an understanding of the working principles and standard operating procedures in place and the correct use of personal protective equipment. Moreover, this training was intended to address the basic principles of disaster medicine applied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such training was essential in enabling staff to rapidly attain competencies that most of them lacked because disaster medicine and global health are not included in the curricula of Italian medical and nursing schools. Although a formal evaluation was not performed, this is a useful example of how to create just-in-time training in a large hospital during a crisis of an unprecedented scale.

Although Life Skills programs showed to improve the psychological and physical wellbeing of individuals, little attention has been paid, worldwide and in the Arab countries in specific to implementing life skills intervention for university students. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a life skills based health promotion intervention KHOTWA (STEP) in enhancing the wellbeing of university students in Lebanon, a country that faces economic and political instability. This is a quasi-experimental study, with pre and post-test, intervention-control design. Each group was formed of 78 participants studying in a private university in Lebanon. Mixed design was used to address the process and outcomes objectives of the intervention. The program was carried online due to COVID-19 pandemic. Significant differences were observed between the intervention and the control groups for life skills, dietary habits and mental health scores at the 3-month follow-up. For the intervention group, a significant increase was observed in the mean score of each of the following Life Skills subscales: self-care (p = 0.001), work and study (p = 0.013), career and education planning (p = 0.011) and looking forward/goal settings (p < 0.001). Students also achieved a healthier eating habit compared to those in the control group by decreasing their consumption of processed food. There was no significant effect in terms of body mass index (p = 0.827). Also, there was a significant change in the mental health status (p = 0.012) only in the intervention group as its mean score decreased after 3 months of the intervention implementation. This intervention enhances the mental health and promotes healthy habits leading consequently to a better quality of life and more productivity amongst university students. Therefore, such interventions should be replicated in other similar context to improve university students’ well-being.

Background: On 16 January 2021 (EB148/18 Session), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Member States emphasized the importance of expanding the WHO Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Initiative, investing in a global health workforce and multidisciplinary teams capable of being rapidly deployed, equipped, and fully trained to respond to all-hazard emergencies effectively. This resulted in the need to define a comprehensive framework. To achieve this, the EMT Initiative proposes the application of the four components of Surge Capacity, known as the 4“S” (Staff, Systems, Supplies, and Structure/Space), to build global capacities and capabilities, ensuring rapid mobilization and efficient coordination of national and international medical teams for readiness and response, complying with crisis standards of care defined in an ethical and evidence-based manner. Methods: A mixed-qualitative research approach was used, incorporating expert consensus through focus group discussions (FGDs), between 2021 and July 2022. This facilitated a detailed process analysis for the application of the surge capacity components to build global capacities and capabilities. This research highlighted the similarities between surge capacity and capacity building from an initial desk review and unified these concepts within the EMT Initiative. A standardized formal pathway was developed to enhance local, regional, and global capacities for emergency readiness and response. Results: The results showed that the framework successfully integrated the essential components of surge capacity and capacity building, making it adaptable to various settings. Conclusions: This framework provides a unified and replicable approach for readiness and response for all-hazards emergencies.

Background: Humanitarian mine action (HMA) stakeholders have an organized presence with well-resourced medical capability in many conflict and post-conflict settings. Humanitarian mine action has the potential to positively augment local trauma care capacity for civilian casualties of explosive ordnance (EO) and explosive weapons (EWs). Yet at present, few strategies exist for coordinated engagement between HMA and the health sector to support emergency care system strengthening to improve outcomes among EO/EW casualties.Methods: A scoping literature review was conducted to identify records that described trauma care interventions pertinent to civilian casualties of EO/EW in resource-constrained settings using structured searches of indexed databases and grey literature. A 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) review on trauma systems components in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) was updated with additional eligible reports describing trauma care interventions in LMICs or among civilian casualties of EO/EWs after 2001.Results: A total of 14,195 non-duplicative records were retrieved, of which 48 reports met eligibility criteria. Seventy-four reports from the 2017 WHO review and 16 reports identified from reference lists yielded 138 reports describing interventions in 47 countries. Intervention efficacy was assessed using heterogenous measures ranging from trainee satisfaction to patient outcomes; only 39 reported mortality differences. Interventions that could feasibly be supported by HMA stakeholders were synthesized into a bundle of opportunities for HMA engagement designated links in a Civilian Casualty Care Chain (C-CCC).Conclusions: This review identified trauma care interventions with the potential to reduce mortality and disability among civilian EO/EW casualties that could be feasibly supported by HMA stakeholders. In partnership with local and multi-lateral health authorities, HMA can leverage their medical capabilities and expertise to strengthen emergency care capacity to improve trauma outcomes in settings affected by EO/EWs.

Background/Introduction: Detention facilities, particularly in conflict settings, pose significant challenges for healthcare provision. These facilities, housing detainees, prisoners of war, or others in custody, often suffer from overcrowding, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to medical care. Unfortunately, medical planning within these environments is frequently insufficient. Objectives: The objectives are to (i) enhance medical planning in detention facilities within conflict settings (ii) support evidence-based definitions of care standards; (iii) identify the essential skills and competencies required by personnel to deliver optimal care in these constrained environments. Method/Description: A mix-method approach will be employed in two phases: (i) a desk review to thoroughly understand current medical planning and standards of care in conflict-related detention facilities and (ii) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with experts and stakeholders working in this field. Method triangulation will be utilized to strengthen data analysis. Results/Outcomes: Preliminary analysis shows gaps and inequality in health services provided to detainees in conflict settings, most of the time even neglected. Detention facilities must be included in plans for mass casualties, mass gathering and outbreak of infectious diseases, and strengthen the capacity, capability, collaboration and coordination between local authorities and medical teams working in these facilities. Conclusion: Addressing health gaps in detention facilities requires a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. The lack of inclusion of detention facilities when planning health responses in conflict settings, challenges coordination and collaboration between medical teams with local authorities and organizations working in these facilities compromising access to quality care for detainees.