Statistics from the World Health Organisation indicate that over 6.5 million people are confirmed to have died in less than 3 years of COVID-19, an order of magnitude larger than that of any recorded earthquake, drought, or hurricane.
A 2022 World Disasters report has been released at the NADMO headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The three-point plans of trust, equity, and local action were discussed in the report.
When the World Disasters Report is implemented, it will serve as a catalyst for change as it works toward a time when disasters no longer cause destruction but instead foster resiliency, hope, and opportunity.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s terrible effects, which tried nations’ resolve, taxed nations’ resources, and revealed systemic flaws, brought about the publication of the 2022 World Disasters Report at a key moment in history.
A total of 378 catastrophes, excluding disease outbreaks, were reported in 2021, which was more than the 20-year average of 337 disasters annually. Many nations had to deal with COVID-19 while also responding to dangers like storms and floods.
The 2022 report placed a strong emphasis on trust, equity, and local action as a means of becoming ready for the next major international catastrophe. However, nations lack the necessary preparation to properly manage the COVID-19 epidemic and future public health emergencies. The research reiterates the crucial roles that trust and equity play in effective responses to pandemics and disasters.
The NADMO Director General, Mr Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, stated that NADMO has always taken the lead and encouraged interaction, like this conference, aiming to have fruitful discussions about disaster preparedness.
‘Discussions such as this will enable citizens and policymakers to properly shape policies and resource allocation to meet disaster management needs, capacity requirements, and disaster risk knowledge gaps to increase total community and country resilience to disaster’.
“The objective of this report is intended to support and influence global conversations to ensure that the international community and national government make the effort to address policy and leg gaps that are making it difficult for disaster risk interventions.”
For his part, the President of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Mr Kwame Gyimah Akwafo, said the document should not be read and forgotten but should be a call to action.
Participants in a panel discussion from the Ghana Health Service, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the University of Ghana School of Public Health, NADMO, and the Ministry of Health discussed, among other things, how to ensure that local actors and communities are included in ongoing and future disease outbreak management efforts.
The COVID-19 reaction of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies helped to partially fund the 2022 World Disasters Report.
Source:gbcghanaonline.com
