Public

Education
Disaster
Preparedness
For All
Dr. Tudor Codreanu MD MSc(Med) EuM(DisMed)
Head, Emergency Medicine Department
Dr. Gray's Hospital, Elgin, Scotland
Visiting Lecturer in Disaster Medicine
Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium and
Universita degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Italia
Tudor.Codreanu@nhs.net

A decade of disasters

2003: 76.806 killed by disasters, 3 times more than in 2002.

Disasters affected 255 million people during the year
Estimated damage of at least 56 billion USD

1994 - 2003: > 5500 reported disasters

> 650.000 killed and > 2.5 billion affected
Estimated damage of at least 691 billion USD

1984 - 1993: > 1 million killed and > 1.5 billion affected

1994 - 2003: drought / famine (48%), floods (16%), earthquakes (16%), windstorms
(10%), extreme temperatures (8%).

Over the last decade:

51 people died per natural disaster in countries of high human development VERSUS
589 per natural disaster in countries of low human development.

2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake 225.000 killed

Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Belgium.

Some more data...

Terrorist scenarios survey (2004)
33% would not follow orders unless family cared for and /
or communication possible

Tornado / hurricane scenarios (2005)

38% have no motivation to prepare, 24% have some
motivation to prepare

Disaster preparedness in teenagers (2008)

Moray (Scotland): 60% males and 66% females do not
know how to make water safe
Kingdom of Bahrain: 97% males and 96% females

Why less deaths?

? Better satellite forecasting
? Early warning systems
? Better community awareness
? Better risk identification
? Better risk reduction
? Better planning
etc

Why more affected?

? Increased number of reported disasters
? Population growth
? Increased vulnerable population
? Unplanned urban development
? More man-made vs natural
? Increased economical gap

Life
cycle of
disaster
management

Definitions
Community disaster awareness (DA) =
Initiatives which inform and train local population
about how to prepare for disasters and
emergencies
Public education = process of making the public
aware of its risks and preparing the population for
hazards in advance of a disaster and as a long
term strategic effort
Public information = messages and the delivery
of messages to the public in anticipation and
during an event
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Disaster Preparedness Programme, 2000 and Emergency
Management Accreditation Program (2006)

Types of DA programmes

Individual activities
Series of co-ordinated activities
Integration with wider community health
programmes

Strategic planning
Mission statement
Identify strengths,
weaknesses,
opportunities, obstacles
Establish goals and
objectives based on
hazard identification and
risk assessment
Set implementation steps
and milestones
Identify sustainability
resources

What and where you

want to be at the end?
Where are you already,
what can help you and
what could stop you?
Narrow it down to
palatable chunks
Set timescales and
responsibilities
Human and financial
resources

Elements of a DA programme
Nature and potential of the risk
Human and physical elements most
vulnerable
Safety actions to prevent and prepare for a
disaster
Safety, survival and recovery actions to
take during recovery from disaster
Official sources for contact and info

Your themes of DA
programme...
Potential disasters, emergencies and hazards
Low-cost measures for local population
Personal / family measures
Governmental measures
Official disaster public warning systems

Public education
Maximal impact if it
addresses:

Daily problems
Daily hazards
Basic health care
Water safety and availability
Sanitation
Employment
Community based first aid
Childcare
Uses simple language

Your business plan...

Identify and prioritise target audience
Define purpose and objectives
Identify potential (influential) partners
Identify best timing and location
Identify best method of delivery
Review and monitor impact later in the
year and review plan accordingly

Your partners:

Sports clubs and personalities

Local businesses, clubs
TV, radio, newspapers
Religious organisations
Village elders
Schools, universities
Banks, trade unions
Etc etc etc

Public education is
Essential in disaster preparedness
planning
Essential during and after a disaster
Not expensive
Of proven efficiency where implemented
Rewarding for the individual and the
community

"If it be not to come, it

will be now; if it be
not now, yet it will
come: the readiness
is all."
Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2