Disaster management

This is a basic insight to Disaster Management including Natural calamities and Man-made disasters. Especially useful for undergraduate healthcare students for their academic orientation and projects.
Reference - Park's Textbook Of Preventive And Social Medicine

1. DISASTER MANAGEMENT PREVENTIVE AND SOCIAL MEDICINE

2. WHAT IS A DISASTER ? “Disaster " can be defined as "any occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life or deterioration of health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area"

3. DISASTER MANAGEMENT There are three fundamental aspects of disaster management : a. Disaster response b. Disaster recovery/rehab c. Disaster mitigation d. Disaster preparedness

4. Disaster cycle:

5. Disaster impact and response Search, rescue and first-aid Field care Triage Tagging Identification of dead

6. Disaster recovery/rehab Water supply It is essential to determine physical integrity of system components , the remaining capacities , and bacteriological and chemical quality of water supplied . Chemical contamination and toxicity are concern in water quality and potential contaminants have to be identified and analyzed. Repaired mains, reservoirs and other units require cleaning and disinfection.

7. Nutrition The immediate steps for ensuring that the food relief programme will be effective include : ( a} assessing the food supplies after the disaster; ( b} gauging the nutritional needs of the affected population ; ( c} calculating daily food rations and need for large population groups ; and ( d} monitoring the nutritional status of the affected population

8. Basic sanitation and p ersonal hygiene Many communicable diseases are spread through faecal contamination of drinking water and food. Hence, every effort should be made to ensure the sanitary disposal of excreta. Emergency latrines should be made available to the displaced , where toilet facilities have been destroyed. Washing , cleaning and bathing facilities should be provided to the displaced persons.

9. Vector control Control programme for vector-borne diseases should be intensified in the emergency and rehabilitation period, especially in areas where such diseases are known to be endemic. Of special concern are dengue fever and malaria (mosquitoes ), leptospirosis and rat bite fever (rats ), typhus (lice, fleas), and plague (fleas). Flood water provides ample breeding opportunities for mosquitoes.

10. Epidemiologic surveillance and diseases control Overcrowding and poor sanitation in settlements Population displacement may spread new diseases to other areas Disruption and contamination of water supply Ecological changes may favour breeding of vectors Diseases carried by Cattles and other animals Provision of emergency water, food and shelter

11. Vaccination Health authorities are often under considerable public and political pressure to begin mass vaccination programmes , usually against typhoid , cholera and tetanus . The pressure may be increased by the press media and offer of vaccines from abroad . The WHO does not recommend typhoid and cholera vaccines in routine use in endemic areas. The newer typhoid and cholera vaccines have increased efficacy, but because they are multidose vaccines, compliance is likely to be poor .

12. Vaccination Significant increase in tetanus incidence have not occurred after natural disasters. Mass vaccination of population against tetanus is usually unnecessary. The best protection is maintenance of a high level of immunity in the general population by routine vaccination before the disaster occurs

13. Disaster Mitigation Emergency prevention and mitigation involves measures designed either to prevent hazards from causing emergency or to lessen the likely effects of emergencies. These measures include flood mitigation works, appropriate land use planning , improved building codes, and reduction or protection of vulnerable population and structures.

14. Disaster Preparedness Evaluate the risk of the country or particular region to disaster ; 2. Adopt standards and regulations ; 3. Organize communication, information and warning systems ; 4. Ensure coordination and response mechanisms ; 5. Adopt measures to ensure that financial and other resources are available for increased readiness and can be mobilized in disaster situation ; 6. Develop public education programmes ; 7. Coordinate information sessions with news media ; and 8. Organize disaster simulation exercises that test response mechanisms.

15. References 1 . Park’s Textbook of Preventive And Social Medicine . 2 . Coping with major emergencies - WHO strategy and approaches to humanitarian action, Geneva, World Health Organization, 1995. 3 . WHO (1999). Community Emergency Preparedness : a manual for managers and policy - makers, WHO. " 4. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130705005019/en/GEICO-recommends-key-safety-tips-hurricane-season