The Healthcare Access and Delivery Survey: Turkiye Earthquake response

Background Conducting rapid health assessments during large-scale disasters can present significant challenges. While responding to key humanitarian needs is a priority, assessing and understanding gaps and areas for strengthening are vital in ensuring a comprehensive and equitable response. Aim To utilise the perspectives of healthcare workers responding to the Turkiye earthquake 2023, as a means of assessing humanitarian health response gaps. Design and setting Observational, descriptive, prospective study design in Turkiye. Method Online survey tool using a Likert-type scale, aligned with minimum standards of humanitarian health response themes, in both English and Turkish distributed by healthcare organisations and academic networks to a convenience sample of health workers responding to the earthquake. Results 45 respondents with perspectives demonstrating general limitations across all humanitarian health themes, with particular gaps in: Coordination and response timeliness Reporting and surveillance Mental health, palliative care and sexual and reproductive health Conclusion Using a survey tool to assess health worker perspective is feasible and provides rapid insights into humanitarian response efforts. Such data can be added to other assessment information to build a more comprehensive picture of needs while engaging with a key stakeholder group, and can support service providers to address gaps and strengthen response actions.