UGANDA HOSTS THE FIRST PILOT TRAINING OF EPIDEMIOLOGY IN HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES FOR ALUMNI OF FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMS

Humanitarian emergencies mainly caused by natural disasters and armed conflicts usually involve displacement of large numbers of people. People affected are often settled in temporary locations where resources are limited; inadequate food and shelter, unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of infrastructure. These factors increase risk of transmission of communicable diseases among other conditions and can lead to increased mortality (death) especially from epidemic-prone diseases. In such crisis, rapid detection and prompt response to epidemics among the affected population is a key priority