Protecting the Public's Health

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August 26th 2010 Colombia - Galeras Volcano - Last Wednesday (August 25th 2010) at 4 am local time, an eruption occurred at Galeras volcano, Colombia. The eruption was explosive and caused ashfall 12 km from the volcano. About 8,000 people have been evacuated from areas surrounding the volcano.

August 10th 2010 Pakistan - Floodings and Cholera - Heavy monsoon rains since July 2010 had caused flooding in many areas of Pakistan. As of 8 August 2010, 1.203 people were killed, the majority in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. There were at least 36.000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea reported in the flood-stricken areas, out of which 1 case of Cholera was confirmed.

August 10th 2010 Vanuatu - Major Earthquake 7.3 - Today at 04:23 pm local time Vanuatu, a major earthquake with magnitude 7.3 occurred 35 km WNW of the capitol Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu. A small 0,23 m high tsunami was generated.

August 8th 2010 India - Flooding - Heavy rain had caused floods and mudslides in the Himalayan region of Ladakh in northern India.

General Effects of Disasters on Health

In the past, sudden-impact disasters were believed to cause not only widespread death, but also massive social disruption and outbreaks of epidemic disease and famine, leaving survivors entirely dependent on outside relief. Systematic observation of the effects of natural disasters on human health has led to different conclusions, both about the effects of disaster on health and about the most effective ways of providing humanitarian assistance.

The term “disaster” usually refers to the natural event (e.g., a hurricane or earthquake) in combination with its damaging effects (e.g., the loss of life or destruction of buildings). “Hazard” refers to the natural event, and “vulnerability” to the susceptibility of a population or system (e.g., a hospital, water supply and sewage system, or aspects of infrastructure) to the effects of the hazard. The probability that a particular system or population will be affected by hazards is known as the “risk.” Hence, risk is a function of the vulnerability and the hazard, and is expressed as follows:

Risk = Vulnerability x Hazard

Though all disasters are unique in that they affect areas with different levels of vulnerability and with distinct social, health, and economic conditions, there are still similarities between disasters. If recognized, these common factors can be used to optimize the management of health humanitarian assistance and use of resources.

Effective management of health humanitarian aid depends on anticipating and identifying problems as they arise, and delivering specific materials at the precise times and points where they are needed. The logistical ability to transport maximum numbers of supplies and personnel from abroad to disaster areas is less essential. Cash is the most effective donation, particularly since it can be used to purchase supplies locally.
(Source: PAHO/WHO SP575)

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