Associate Professor Jonathan Abrahams is the Director of the Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative (MUDRI). He brings many years of international, regional and national experience and extensive connections across the world to MUDRI. He came directly from the World Health Organization where he has played a leading role for the past 14 years in advancing global policy and action on reducing health risks and impacts of all types of emergencies and disasters. In WHO’s Health Emergencies Program in Geneva, Jonathan was the WHO focal point for the UN system, integrating health dimensions into the inclusive disaster risk management and resilience policy, plans and guidance, which included advocacy and advice to countries for the negotiation of a strongly health-focused Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. He brought together expertise and experience across the world for the development of the WHO Health EDRM Framework which is built on good practice in health systems strengthening, epidemic and pandemic preparedness, humanitarian action and disaster risk management. Jonathan and colleagues continue to build the community of practice around evidence and research for Health EDRM through the WHO Health EDRM Research Network based in Kobe, Japan, and is a member of the Joint Study Group on Health for the World Meteorological Organisation to strengthen the collaboration between climate and health services on extreme events, climate variability and climate change.

These global efforts have been aimed at improving health and well-being for people at risk, in particular those who are experiencing significant impacts associated with high levels of vulnerability and disadvantage. Jonathan has worked in many countries with national leaders and actors, WHO colleagues and partners to strengthen national and local capacities across health systems and all sectors of society. Before joining WHO, he was Director, Public Health in Emergencies, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Thailand, from 2005-2008 where his focus was on development and delivery of learning programs for leaders and managers in health EDRM in Asia Pacific region. Jonathan had 20 years experience with Emergency Management Australia, AusAID’s Humanitarian and Emergency Response Unit and helped set up the National Centre for War-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at the old Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital/Austin Medical Centre, the foundation of Phoenix Australia. Jonathan holds a MPH from Emory University and other qualifications in health and emergency management. In 2017 he received the WADEM President’s Award in recognition of his contribution to the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine and to the field of disaster health.