Impacts of natural disaster globally public health

1. Impact of Natural Disasters
Globally

2. Course outline
• Impact on Health
• Impact of Natural Calamites on economics and
development

3. Key Facts about Health & Emergencies I
• Morbidities always pre-exists in communities prior to
the occurrence of disasters
• Not all natural disasters or emergency have an impact
on the health system
• Occurrence of health system consequences of
emergencies depends on many factors (Ivers et al):
– Type of disaster
– Pre-disaster status of the health system
– Public health situation & disease pattern of the area prior to the crisis
– Impact of the disaster on other sectors such as water, sanitation, shelter
– Population displacement
– Effectiveness of the response to the disaster
– Socioeconomic status of the area prior to the emergency

4. Key facts about Health and Emergencies
• Natural disasters causes public health emergencies,
which displaced a significant number of people.
• Basic health and medical Infrastructure damage
• Problem with fundamental resources: food,
shelter, clean water
• Catalyst for generation and transmission of disease
and infection
• Disaster Impact public health system and its
protection, infrastructure, other sectors like water
sanitation, shelter, food and nutrition.

5. • Occurrence of public health impact of crises depend
on other sectors such as protection, shelter, WASH
• Some emergencies have direct impact on health while
some are indirect:
– Direct: earthquakes: (trauma, lacerations, fractures,
amputations
– Indirect: floods/droughts/cyclones (epidemic diseases,
malnutrition, mental health & psychosocial problems, MCH)
Impact of Disasters: Public Health

6. Impact of Disasters: Public Health
Pre-Impact conditions
• Hazard Exposure
• Physical Vulnerability
• Social vulnerability
Pre Impact Conditions
• Health System Performance:
 Financing system
 Creating resources capacity
 Delivering services
Security and health protection
system:
 Infrastructure
 Information and
communication

7. Impact of Disasters: Public Health
Direct Impact
• Mortality
• Injuries: physical trauma or
injuries that required a
immediate assistance
• Homelessness: house
destroyed, who need shelter
after an event.
• Affected: people who required
immediate medical assistance
during a period of emergency:
basic needs, food, water,
sanitation
Direct Impact
• Communicable diseases
• Acute Illness
• Chronic Illness
• Psychological Effects
• Food and nutrition
• Environmental health
problems
• Health care system:
infrastructure damage, loss
of health perosnnel

8. Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems
Environmental health
• Water, sanitation, hygiene and
vector borne conditions due to:
 Poor water supplies
 Inadequate hygiene and
sanitation
 Increased incidence of
diarrhea, dysentery, respiratory
infection and other
communicable disease
 Waste water management
 Hygiene
Environmental health problems

9. Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems
Shelter
• Displaced
• Internal migration
 Displaced people living in
parks, city squares, public
buildings, school, vacant
area
 3.5 square meter/person in
emergency situation

10. Disease epidemics
• Water related communicable
disease
 Diarrhea, typhoid, dysentry
 Hepatitis A & E
 Leptospirosis
Disease Associated with
Crowding:
 Measles
 Neisseria Meningitis
 ARI
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

11. Disease epidemics
• Vector borne disease
 Malaria
 Dengue
• Other diseases
 Tetanus
 Typhus
 Incidence of dog bite: rabies
 Relapsing fever
 scabies
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

12. Immunization
• Mass immunization urgent
required
 Hepatitis B
 TB
 Measles
 Vitamin A Supplement
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

13. Food and Nutrition
 Food supply shortage
 Food stuck destruction
 Food distribution problems
 Food safety and suitability
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

14. Social Reactions/Mental Health
 Spontaneous behavioral
reactions: eg generalized
panic
 Population displacement
 Anti social behavior
 Shock, denial
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

15. Interruption in public health
facilities
 Routine Immunization
programme
 Vector control programme
 Damage to public health
facilities: water supplies &
sewage disposal system that
increase water and
excremental disease
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

16. Mortuary services
• Danger of disease
transmission from decaying
bodies
• Handling technique:
 Immunization Hep B, TB
 Training to use body bags
 Gloves
 Disinfectant of equipment
Public Health Concerns: Main
Problems

17. Impact of Disasters: Public Health
Indirect Impact
• Loss of primary health care
facilities
• Loss of normal living
conditions
• Health care system: external
infrastructure damage
Long term Impact
• Post disaster failure to
restore normal public health
program
• Food and nutrition:
insufficient
 PEM
 Micronutrient and calorie
demand

18. Impact of Disasters: Public Health
Long term Impact
• Post traumatic stress
disorder
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Non Specific Medical
Symptoms
• Chronic medical Problems:
Respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases
Long term Impact
• Hygiene problems: loss of
basic structure
• Persistent physical health
consequences
• Highly prevalent in:
 Rescue worker
 Injured during trauma
 Who lost homes, property,
belongingness
 Families of those injured

19. Impact of Disasters: Public Health
Long term Impact
• Post disaster: management
of human excreta
• Vector borne disease: flies,
mosquito, rats
• Immunization coverage
• Altered individual resistance
eto diseases
Long term Impact

20. Public Health Impact of Floods
Floods
Socio
econom
ic
impact
Effect on
Infrastruct
ures
Environm
ental
impact
•Loss of livelihoods &
assets (reduced access
to food)
•Loss of shelter
•Displacement
•Erosion of community
social structures &
coping mechanisms
•Destruction of
health care
infrastructure
•Disruption of social
services (water
supplies, electricity,
latrines)
•Destruction of
roads
•Destruction of
sanitation facilities
•Lack of clean water
•Increased parasites
in the environment
•Epidemic outbreaks:
ARI, measles
•Increased malnutrition
•Mental & psychosocial
disorders
•Increased GBV, STI &
HIV
•PTSD
•Reduced access to
healthcare
•Poor outcomes for
chronic diseases
•Increased maternal
& child mortality
•Electric shock
•Epidemics: Cholera,
malaria, typhoid,
diarrhea
•Increased snake bites
Increased morbidity
and mortality
Waring & Brown

21. Public Health Impact of Drought
Drought
Water
shortage
•Crop
failure
•Loss of
livestock
•Increase
d food
price
•Reduced
access to
food
•Reduced
food
intake
•Loss of
purchasing
power
•Reduced access to
health care
•Loss of caring
capacity
•Malnutrition
and
avitaminosis
•Epidemics:, cholera,
typhoid
•Skin diseases
•Eye diseases
Increased
morbidity
and
mortality
•Displacem
ent/forced
migration
•Distortion of
community
social structures
•Increased
illnesses
•Maternal & child
health risks
•Alcholism
•Increased GBV,
STI & HIV

23. General Impact of Disasters on Health Systems I
• Health workforce
– Illness, disability & death due to hospital acquired infections,
injuries & violence
– Displacement as a result of insecurity or destruction of living
quarters
– Psychological trauma due to illness, death & disability of
colleagues & displacement
• Health Information Management
– Collapse of health information management systems
– Inability to effectively monitor health performance & status
• Medical products, vaccines & technologies
– Looting of medical supplies & equipment
– Breakdown of supply chain management system due to
insecurity, poor access
– The above results in drug stock-outs

24. General Impact of Disasters on Health Systems II
• Health financing
– Diversion of health resources to other sectors such as defense thus
resulting in reduced spending on health
– Increased cost of delivering health care
• Leadership & governance
– Breakdown of strategic policy framework for health
– Lack of oversight function (supervision, monitoring & evaluation)
– Inability to enforce health regulations & ensure accountability
• Health service delivery
– All of the above results in:
• Reduced access to health services
• Poor coverage of public health interventions e.g. immunization
• Poor quality of available health services
• Unsafe health care services

25. • Go through the web for death rate
• https://ourworldindata.org/natural-disaster

28. Annual global number of deaths from natural catastrophes
per decade, 1900 -2010

29. Annual global death rate (per 100,000 of the world population) per
decade from natural catastrophes, 1900- 2010