Photo caption: Members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) recently participated in a workshop, including a conference and table top exercise that explored the effects of an influenza epidemic, in Mombasa, Kenya, August 23-27, 2010. (Photo from USU Newsletter The Pulse, November 8, 2010)
Advancing military medicine in humanitarian and disaster relief
The Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) was formally established at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) by the Defense Appropriations Act of 1999. Organized within the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at USUHS, CDHAM is postured as the Defense Department’s focal point for academic aspects of medical stability operations.
Vision: To contribute to National Security by achieving regional and global stability through Health Care diplomacy.
The US military has a long history of responding to disasters and participating in humanitarian assistance missions. Until recently, however, these missions were considered less important than traditional combat and combat support missions. Events of the 21st century have made it clear that our National Security depends on stability around the globe.
This was emphasized in recent Department of Defense guidance establishing Stability Operations, including Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HA/DR), as missions with a priority equal to combat operations.
Mission: To provide support to Department of Defense agencies, through education and training, consultation, direct support and scholarly activities, regarding the role of military health care in response to disasters and humanitarian assistance missions.
The successful delivery of assistance depends on a coordinated effort between the Host Nation, United Nations agencies, other Governmental Organizations, and many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). With respect to HA/DR missions, the DoD will function in a supporting role to other agencies, such as the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development. Effectiveness requires achieving synergy by optimizing each participant’s relative strengths.
