Detection and alert Early detection and alert of ongoing events
is a crucial factor to ensure that appropriate response measures
can be taken in a timely manner. Under certain circumstances,
early detection and alert of ongoing incidents can even greatly
attenuate their consequences. For instance, human loss resulting
from the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean tsunami could have been
greatly reduced if an efficient tsunami detection and alert
system had been put in place, allowing the population of
neighbouring islands to shelter before the deadly wave hit their
islands. Use of satellite images, positioning systems,
communication aids and web-crawler tools to systematically
screen news stories posted on the web, can all warn of impending
disasters. Networks of organizations and groups also collect
relevant health intelligence from around the world, and all
leads are assessed and verified, with alerts issued if required.
As part of the revised International Health Regulations (IHR
2005), WHO has been developing a