The Impact of Disasters on Public Health

Disasters change the landscape in numerous ways, and only a portion of the
changes are immediately evident. Thats especially so when it comes to public
health. Public health encompasses efforts to protect and improve the health of
communities as a whole, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles, research
into the prevention of injury and disease, and education. The healthier the
community and the more resources it has before disaster strikes, the greater
resilience that community will show.

In October 2010, ten months after the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti, a cholera outbreak
was identified; it went on to sicken 470,000 Haitians and nearly 7,000 died. Cholera typically
spreads in places with deficient water treatment, inadequate hygiene, and poor waste
management, and the event only magnified a precarious situation. Some might believe the
outbreak was a direct result of the earthquake, but others consider the timing more coincidental.
Its estimated that just half of the nations population had access to clean drinking water before
the earthquake occurred, and less than one quarter had sufficient access to sanitation, like
latrines.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, La., the complication was not cholera. But
prior public health concerns played a role here, too. Before the storm, a quarter of the population
lived below poverty levels and one in five was uninsured, resulting in an overwhelming load on
an already overburdened health delivery system. And almost all of the deaths were among the
already vulnerable elderly and/or African American populations.

The impact a disaster has on an affected populations health is far from predictable. A variety of
factors influence the spread of disease and other health-related issues following an event, and
many can be mitigated with thoughtful planning.

Disaster preparedness efforts that consider, for example, health facility capabilities, reproductive
health, mental health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene greatly lessen the toll of sickness on
compromised populations. The field is rife with opportunities for further study, investment, and
improvement across the disaster life cycle, from risk reduction through long-term recovery,
including the preparedness and resources of affected and at-risk populations.

Key Facts

Disaster-related health needs typically do not show up immediately. Some health

concerns will not appear until much later, especially in terms of mental health. Consider
 the challenges of survival after livelihoods have been lost, such as the loss of livestock,
which represents years of accumulated family wealth. Also of concern: ongoing issues
following the death of the head of a household.

Damage to health care facilitiesand diagnostic equipmentcan have long-

reaching consequences. So, too, can damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges,
keeping people from being able to connect to services they need. In addition, losses that
affect the personal lives of healthcare workers also affect the ability of health facilities to
provide services.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions before and after a disaster can greatly
affect the level of impact on a communitys health. Drinking water supply and waste
management are especially important factors in controlling disease, as is the management
of toxic substances released by the disaster.

Often, post-disaster outbreaks of disease are associated with population

displacement. Widespread disasters such as hurricanes, famine, or floods can result in
large groups of people being evacuated. But disease tends to spread in overcrowded areas
without proper access to healthcare services. In resource-poor areas, already decreased
nutritional status and lack of vaccinations can contribute to the problem. Sometimes this
can mean outbreaks of diarrhea, but other times, it could be respiratory infections or
conjunctivitis with so many in close quarters.

Disasters can exacerbate reproductive health needs. Along with damage to facilities,
equipment, medications, and other infrastructure, access to services could decrease. Other
concerns can take higher priority. In addition, periods of high stress, overcrowding in
temporary relief situations, and challenges related to hygiene could increase the chance of
sexually transmitted diseases and gender-based violence. And yet, pregnancies and
deliveries continue, even with diminished facilities and a decrease in the number of
skilled healthcare workers.

There is no health without mental health. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has
prepared an issue insight on Mental Health Needs During and After Disaster.

kebutuhan kesehatan yang berhubungan dengan bencana biasanya tidak

muncul segera. Beberapa masalah kesehatan tidak akan muncul sampai
lama kemudian, terutama dalam hal kesehatan mental. Pertimbangkan
tantangan hidup setelah mata pencaharian telah hilang, seperti hilangnya
ternak, yang mewakili tahun kekayaan keluarga akumulasi. Juga menjadi
perhatian: masalah yang sedang berlangsung menyusul kematian kepala
rumah tangga.
Kerusakan fasilitas-dan perawatan kesehatan diagnostik peralatan-dapat
memiliki konsekuensi jangka mencapai. Jadi, juga bisa merusak infrastruktur
seperti jalan dan jembatan, menjaga orang dari yang dapat terhubung ke
 layanan yang mereka butuhkan. Selain itu, kerugian yang mempengaruhi
kehidupan pribadi dari petugas kesehatan juga mempengaruhi kemampuan
fasilitas kesehatan untuk memberikan pelayanan.
Kondisi air, sanitasi, dan kebersihan sebelum dan sesudah bencana dapat
sangat mempengaruhi tingkat dampak pada kesehatan masyarakat.
Penyediaan air minum dan pengelolaan sampah merupakan faktor sangat
penting dalam mengendalikan penyakit, seperti pengelolaan zat beracun
yang dikeluarkan oleh bencana.
Sering, wabah pasca bencana penyakit yang berhubungan dengan
perpindahan penduduk. Bencana luas seperti badai, kelaparan, atau banjir
dapat mengakibatkan kelompok besar orang dievakuasi. Tetapi penyakit
cenderung menyebar di daerah-daerah padat tanpa akses yang tepat untuk
layanan kesehatan. Di daerah miskin sumber daya, sudah menurun status
gizi dan kurangnya vaksinasi dapat berkontribusi untuk masalah ini. Kadang-
kadang ini dapat berarti wabah diare, tapi kali lain, bisa jadi infeksi
pernapasan atau konjungtivitis dengan begitu banyak dalam jarak dekat.
Bencana dapat memperburuk kebutuhan kesehatan reproduksi. Seiring
dengan kerusakan fasilitas, peralatan, obat-obatan, dan infrastruktur lainnya,
akses ke layanan bisa menurun. kekhawatiran lain dapat mengambil prioritas
yang lebih tinggi. Selain itu, periode stres yang tinggi, kepadatan penduduk
dalam situasi bantuan sementara, dan tantangan yang berkaitan dengan
kebersihan bisa meningkatkan kemungkinan penyakit menular seksual dan
kekerasan berbasis gender. Namun, kehamilan dan persalinan berlanjut,
bahkan dengan fasilitas berkurang dan penurunan jumlah pekerja kesehatan
yang terampil.
Tidak ada kesehatan tanpa kesehatan mental. Pusat Filantropi Bencana
telah menyiapkan sebuah isu wawasan tentang Kesehatan Mental Kebutuhan
Selama dan Setelah Bencana

How You Can Help

Opportunities for reducing the health impact of disasters abound. Interested donors could:

Support local efforts to bolster critical services and build community resilience. On a
larger scale, strengthen water treatment and sewer facilities to better withstand disasters.
On a smaller but equally as important scale, fund efforts to improve healthcare
equipment, support hygiene programs, and ensure plans for mental health access are in
place.

Fund efforts to ensure post-disaster reproductive care and access. Consider both
immediate needs and long-term concerns, including birth control, pregnancy, sexually
transmitted diseases, and efforts to reduce gender-based violence in overcrowded
displaced populations.

Fund risk reduction activities such as vulnerability assessments for potentially

disaster-prone areas and impact mitigation. Fund the creation of rapid needs
assessments to collect reliable data about the needs of affected communities after
disasters occur. In addition, identify marginalized and vulnerable populations that suffer
 the most in disasters, assessing their unique needs. In terms of mitigating impact, include
the creation of public health communications that are reliable, consistent, and culturally
relevant.

Fund training for healthcare providers to identify and strengthen the most
vulnerable populations. Recognize that different populations may be more vulnerable to
different disasters.

Support programs that assist care givers in disaster-affected areas. They may be
coping with their own grief while assisting others.

Fund the transfer to electronic medical records in higher-income areas. These are
less easily lost following a disaster.

Support research into the ongoing effects of disasters on populations, as well as

effective ways to build coping capacities among individuals and communities. Also
worth study: methods of promoting early recovery and mitigation of the impact of future
disasters.

Dukungan upaya lokal untuk meningkatkan layanan kritis dan membangun ketahanan
masyarakat. Pada skala yang lebih besar, memperkuat pengolahan air dan saluran
pembuangan fasilitas untuk lebih menahan bencana. Pada skala yang lebih kecil tapi
sama pentingnya, upaya dana untuk meningkatkan peralatan kesehatan, mendukung
program kebersihan, dan memastikan rencana untuk akses kesehatan mental berada di
tempat.
upaya Dana untuk memastikan pasca bencana perawatan reproduksi dan akses.
Mempertimbangkan baik kebutuhan mendesak dan kekhawatiran jangka panjang,
termasuk KB, kehamilan, penyakit menular seksual, dan upaya untuk mengurangi
kekerasan berbasis gender dalam populasi pengungsi penuh sesak.
kegiatan pengurangan risiko Fund seperti penilaian kerentanan untuk daerah berpotensi
rawan bencana dan mitigasi dampak. Mendanai pembuatan penilaian kebutuhan cepat
untuk mengumpulkan data yang dapat diandalkan tentang kebutuhan masyarakat yang
terkena dampak setelah bencana terjadi. Selain itu, mengidentifikasi populasi
terpinggirkan dan rentan yang paling menderita dalam bencana, menilai kebutuhan unik
mereka. Dalam hal mitigasi dampak, termasuk penciptaan komunikasi kesehatan
masyarakat yang handal, konsisten, dan relevan secara budaya.
Pelatihan Dana bagi penyedia layanan kesehatan untuk mengidentifikasi dan
memperkuat populasi yang paling rentan. Mengakui bahwa populasi yang berbeda
mungkin lebih rentan terhadap bencana yang berbeda.
Mendukung program-program yang membantu pemberi perawatan di daerah yang
terkena bencana. Mereka dapat mengatasi kesedihan mereka sendiri sambil membantu
orang lain.
Dana transfer ke catatan medis elektronik di daerah berpenghasilan lebih tinggi. Ini
kurang mudah "hilang" setelah bencana.
 Dukungan penelitian efek berkelanjutan dari bencana pada populasi, serta cara yang
efektif untuk membangun kapasitas penanganan antara individu dan masyarakat. Juga
studi senilai: metode untuk mempromosikan pemulihan awal dan mitigasi dampak
bencana di masa depan.

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http://disasterphilanthropy.org/the-impact-of-disasters-on-public-health/ CENTER OF
DISASTER PHILANTHROPY