Dictionary of Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Relief [electronic resource] / by S. William A. Gunn.

In times of emergency, clear communication is critical to saving lives and preventing further destruction. Operations in the field, negotiations between governments and relief organizations, and planning and training sessions all require collaboration among people from various disciplines using different terminologies. Without a common lexicon, misunderstandings and other communication errors can lead to the loss of valuable time, scarce resources, and lives—and during an era marked by climate disasters, warfare, industrial accidents, and threats of bioterrorism, the stakes are increasingly high.   It is in this spirit that the original Dictionary of Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Relief was assembled, and the same holds true for this timely Second Edition. This practical resource boasts more than twice the number of entries as the first edition: definitions, abbreviations, and acronyms covering all phases of humanitarian aid, from planning and preparedness to rescue and recovery. Its contents have been field-tested across the emergency intervention community, and are as useful in communicating with the media and the public as with colleagues.   This expanded edition of the Dictionary of Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Relief ably follows its predecessor as an authoritative resource for researchers and professionals in global health, health promotion, public health, public health policy, and disaster management.