We all hope our communities will be resilient in the face of the many threats to health that strike during a disaster or emergency. But what exactly is resilience? Resilience is the ability to withstand and recover from adversity. Disaster resilience involves all the things that individuals can do to make themselves more prepared for disaster—like making a disaster kit and having a plan—and it also includes the things we can do together to make our communities stronger every day. This sense of individual and collective effort in service of the good of the community is a core principle of our nation. Our communities today are facing a number of threats. We know about the risks of natural disasters, and the damage that can be wrought by hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. But there are other threats to our communities’ health and well-being like chronic disease, poverty, and violence. A resilience approach helps us face the risks of major events like disasters, as well as the day-to-day challenges that are part of the life of any community.
Resilient communities take disaster preparedness seriously. As part of that approach, they strive to foster healthy individuals and families with access to health care, both physical and psychological. These communities work to equip people with the knowledge and resources to care for themselves and others in both routine and emergency situations. Resilient communities know the importance of social connectedness and they understand that that connected and engaged people and groups can work together to help their community resist disaster and recovery faster.
To affirm its commitment to community resilience and to improving the nation's ability to respond to and recover from major public health emergencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked the National Preparedness and Response Science Board (NPRSB) to examine the issue of resilience and offer recommendations. The NPRSB is an independent scientific body comprised of leading experts and stakeholders in disaster management, community health, and other related fields.
In its Community Health Resilience Report, the NPRSB provided recommendations to the HHS Secretary regarding Departmental actions that can build and sustain community health resilience and help communities better prepare, withstand, and recover from disasters and public health emergencies. These recommendations provide insight into the conceptual framework surrounding community resilience; outreach and communication; technical assistance; policy alignment; and the research agenda.
To learn about the NPRSB’s findings on actionable steps that can help improve our nation’s resilience, please read the Community Health Resilience Report. Please share your feedback on the board’s findings in a comment to this blog post.
