The purpose of In Control is two-fold. The first half of the book (chapters 1 to 3) provides an overview of the international architecture and inter-disciplinary environment within which health emergency responses occur – the organisations, principles, frameworks and themes that every health professional deploying abroad should be aware of. The second half of the book (chapters 4 to 8) provides practical advice to help professionals survive and thrive during their mission – from staying healthy and coping with stress to building trust among your host community or dealing with the press. In Control aims to impart knowledge, provoke reflection and trigger curiosity. It seeks to strengthen awareness of how disciplines overlap and it attempts to caution the reader. Caution, because while emergency response is urgent by nature, it requires those involved to be well prepared in body and mind to think through their actions and achieve lasting results while avoiding further harm.
