Chapter 2.1 Using epidemiological principles to assess impacts of emergencies and disasters
Authors: Waite TD, Murray V.
What is this chapter about?
Adequate description of the impact of a disaster, or any other significant health event, is a challenge. Epidemiological research describing both the causes and consequences of disasters can help decision-makers to understand the impact of a disaster and plan for future disasters.
Chapter 2.1 outlines epidemiological research techniques, including rapid needs assessments, health and health facility surveillance, outbreak investigations and other incident reports, and the use of databases containing disaster data. It also describes tools that can help in this research, such as the Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) and the WHO’s Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS). The use of these techniques and resources can contribute to reliable research in health emergency and disaster risk management. This chapter focuses on how data can be gathered for epidemiological research in emergencies and disasters in order to assess the risk factors and health consequences, including:
- Sources of vulnerability and exposure to hazards.
- Impacts of disasters on mortality and morbidity.
- Sources of data and databases that are available for epidemiology research.
- Value of surveillance mechanisms for epidemiological studies of disasters.
Case studies presented in the chapter:
- Mortality estimates from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
- Japan’s Minamata Bay and organic mercury poisoning.
- Mental health impact of widespread flooding in the UK.
What are the key messages of this chapter?
- The principles of epidemiology for emergencies and disasters are critical to understanding risk factors and health impacts of disasters and informing strategies for health emergency and disaster risk management.
- Disaster databases are important sources of data but have limitations that need to be recognized by researchers and it is hoped that the Sendai Framework Monitor will help overcome some of these problems.
- Health impacts of disasters can be both immediate and long term; the long-term impact has been relatively under-studied and thus the burden on a population is likely to be under-estimated and inadequately addressed.
