title: From complex emergencies to terrorism--new tools for health-sector coordination in conflict-associated disasters.
abstract: Inter-agency coordination in humanitarian assistance dates as a discipline from the 1960s. The United Nations, Red Cross, governmental, and non-governmental agencies have evolved different mechanisms to achieve it. Present practices in field-based, inter-agency coordination of the health sector remain variable and non-standardized. International experiences in coordination of humanitarian assistance reveal numerous issues of jurisdiction, authority, capacity, and competency. New tools to help overcome these issues in the health-sector coordination include binding principles of engagement, protocols for the assumption of responsibilities, standardized minimum essential data sets, and health-sector component summaries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. dbradt@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bradt
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Drummond
mesh_terms: D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004190:Disasters; D023481:Terrorism