title: International humanitarian assistance: where do emergency physicians belong?
abstract: As human civilization faces new and challenging humanitarian crises, the entrance of EPs into the realm of HA is needed and timely. As noted by Jennifer Leaning [35], an EP at Harvard University, "Medical and public health personnel who respond to these crises enter a domain of perilous complexity. Road maps do not exist, but the possibility of good favors the prepared mind." Thus, with proper training in the principles of public health and experience, EPs have a tremendous opportunity to affect the realm of international HA, particularly via the analysis and development of international emergency health systems and building the capacity for effective relief. EPs with training in HA can be valuable assets to relief programs in the field and administratively, especially after the initial disaster and during the transition to health system reconstruction and development.
authors.affiliation: The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, 1830 E. Monument Street, Suite 6-100, Baltimore, MD 21305, USA. mvanrooy@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: VanRooyen
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venugopal
authors.forename: P Gregg
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Greenough
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D007391:International Cooperation; D010819:Physician's Role; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014857:Warfare