Natural disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies Flashcards
Types of natural disasters?
-droughts
-hurricanes
-typhoons
-cyclones
-heavy rains
-tsunamis
-earthquakes
-volcanoes
Is the number of natural disasters increasing?
yes, and they are affecting larger numbers of people, causing more economic losses, but causing proportionally fewer deaths
What percent of deaths from these disasters occur in low and middle income countries?
90%
what do natural disasters cause damage to?
health systems and other infrastructure
Health burden of natural disasters?
- direct and indirect effects depend on type of disaster
- some effects are short-term such as death, others are long-lasting such as mental health problems
- very old, very young, and very sick are most vulnerable
Addressing the Heath Effects of Natural Disasters?
- assess the health situation immediately
- address the needs of immediate trauma cases
- Help other injured people who are in need of early care and treatment
- establish continuous disease surveillance
- provide food, water, and shelter
Disaster preparedness plans can be formed to:
- identify vulnerabilities
- develop scenarios of what might happen and the likelihood
- outline the role that different actors will play in the event of an emergency
- train first responders and managers to deal with such emergencies
In the case of natural disasters, external assistance will have to:
- include all external partners
- be based on a cooperative relationship among the partners
- Have partners working in ways that are complementary to each other
- Be evidence-based and transparent
- Involve the affected communities
Characteristics of Complex Emergencies?
- often go on for long periods of time
- Sometimes groups that are fighting will not allow humanitarian assistance to be provided
-Combatants often target civilians - Systematic abuse of human rights
- Food shortages
- Breakdown of publicly supported health system
- unhealthy living circumstances in refugee camps
Health burdens of complex humanitarian emergencies?
- large and underestimated because of difficulties in collecting data
- Between 320,000 and 420,000 people killed each year as a result of CHEs
- malnutrition, lack of safe water, food shortages, and breakdown of health services can lead to illness, disability and death
Causes of Death in CHE
- In the early stages, most deaths occur from diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, measles, or malaria
- populations affected are generally poor and have poor nutritional status
Violence against women and CHE
- security conditions put women at considerable risk of sexual violence
- rape is used as a weapon of war
- economic distress and chaos may force women to trade sex for food or money
Relation between CHEs and Mental Health?
- social and psychological shocks due to changes in way of living, loss of livelihoods, damaged social networks and physical and mental harm
- studies have found that affected children and adults suffer from higher rates of depression and ptsd
Assessment and surveillance of CHEs
- carry out assessment of displaced population
-Establish a system for disease surveillance - Check weight for height of all under 5 children
- assess the daily crude mortality rate
How to maintain a safe and healthy environment during CHE?
- Maintain environmental and personal hygiene - adequate clean water (15L per person per day), adequate number of toilets, segregated by sex ( 1 toilet per 20 people)
- provide effective and culturally appropriate shelter
