Disasters and emergencies often have disproportionate impacts on a country's health system and the overall health of women, men, girls, and boys. The interruptions of routine public health programs, such as vaccination campaigns, are common in the wake of a disaster, setting back gains to overall public health. This guidance note for post- disaster health sector recovery is intended to provide action-oriented guidance to local and central government health sector officials who face post-disaster challenges related to health sector recovery. It lays out the policy, planning, financial, and implementation decisions and activities that go into developing and putting into effect a health sector recovery plan. Additionally, common pitfalls are outlined as well as ways to overcome them. The note is structured around three phases: immediate, or initial recovery efforts as the sector transitions from response to recovery
short-term, or recovery planning and initial implementation
and medium-term reconstruction efforts.