Coordination of Public Health Response: The Role of Leadership in Responding to Public Health Emergencies

Abstract

Public health emergencies are becoming more commonplace every year. Naturally occurring public health emergencies, such as hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, and floods cause significant devastation to property and people. Although these emergencies are becoming more and more common, response is still very challenging. A root cause of failed response is a lack of coordination between national, regional, and local public health agencies. These failed and unsuccessful responses are seen with naturally occurring public health emergencies, including pandemics. This chapter addresses coordination, its barriers and challenges, with a focus on the role of leadership in response to public health emergencies. Coordination leadership is a critical aspect of successful and effective response to emergencies. Leadership styles will be discussed and examples of effective leadership. Lessons learned will be presented, as well as research findings. Examples discussed include Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami of 2004 in Thailand, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals.

Roles of health system leadership under emergency in drought-affected districts in northeast Uganda: a mixed-method study

“…Community engagement,28 29 partners coordination and intersectoral collaboration1 6 30 are the most important leadership activities in emergency response. These findings are consistent with the current study results in which community engagement implemented by trained VHTs, response activities coordination at each level of health system and intersectoral collaborations played an essential role in emergency response and maintenance of health services.…”

“…Moreover, effective health system leadership during emergencies hinges on strong coordination and collaboration between local and national governments, alongside international partners. This collaborative approach is critical to mitigate the consequences of public health emergencies 1. Furthermore, research has identified several key qualities and capabilities essential for effective health emergency leadership 7 8.…”

“…Naturally occurring public health emergencies such as droughts, floods and earthquakes cause widespread social, economic, health and ecological disruptions across the globe. 1 2 The Great Horn of Africa (GHoA) region faces a devastating crisis as prolonged drought triggers extreme hunger, outbreak of communicable diseases, which threaten the lives of millions of people and livestock. 3 An estimated 46.3 million people in GHoA region faced food insecurity while 13.5 million were internally displaced in 2022.…”

“…This collaborative approach is critical to mitigate the consequences of public health emergencies. 1 Furthermore, research has identified several key qualities and capabilities essential for effective health emergency leadership. 7 8 A unique and effective health emergency leaders possess, include public health science expertise; decisive yet adaptable leadership; situational awareness and assessment; cross-disciplinary coordination; compelling communication skills; and ability to inspire trust.…”