Health Impacts of Natural Disasters

            The effects of natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, have had greater impact on health issues as the world’s population continues to rise. According to the United Nations Development Programme, more than 1.5 million people have perished within the past 20 years due to natural disasters. With about 75% of the world’s population living in regions that are often affected by disasters like cyclones and drought, the majority of the impact occurs in the most vulnerable demographic group: the impoverished. Around 66% of the population of the world’s most impoverished countries accounts for 95% of the mortality due to disasters (National). Natural hazards not only bring destruction of physical property, but also destruction of health infrastructure and transportation systems, creating a multitude of potential health problems, magnified among the poor. These health problems, ranging from spread of communicable disease to post-traumatic stress disorder, are currently being studied by organizations such as the United Nations in order to target disaster hotspots and alleviate the adverse effects during future disasters

Volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, cyclones, drought, tsunamis, wildfire, lightning –all are examples of natural hazards that can have disastrous effects, both long and short term. During disasters, houses are lost and lives are disrupted; however, the majority of the damage will come after the incident has already passed. In the wake of a major natural disaster, hospitals and health care clinics are often either closed or destroyed, transportation systems are disabled, or communication lines are down. Loss of access to health care greatly increases potential mortality among the injured, as well as increasing the likelihood of mortality among those who rely on medicine and care on a daily basis, such as diabetics and those with other chronic illnesses. Closed transportation systems disrupt the movement of food and water to affected areas, increasing the likelihood of starvation and spread of disease through untreated water. The 2010 Haiti earthquake is a prime example of infrastructure deficiency that lead to a massive outbreak of cholera, due to the prevalence of contaminated water and lack of supply routes. Access issues, whether to health care or to clean water, often exacerbate the effects of natural disasters.

Short term effects of natural disasters, such as trauma, structure collapse, injury and death, are more frequently discussed and understood by the general public. However, it is the long term effects that are most interesting and possibly most dangerous. Like the previously mentioned example of the Haiti earthquake, one of the most harmful long term effects of natural disasters is the spread and increase of infectious diseases. Areas that are flooded and covered by stagnant water for long periods of time after an event like a tsunami have a higher likelihood of seeing an increase in malaria due to optimal mosquito reproduction conditions (National). There is also high risk among temporary refugee camps where the displaced population often gathers in high concentrations, creating a perfect arena for easy transfer of diseases such as meningitis, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.

      Other long term effects include psychological impacts, primarily post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is quite common after severe natural disasters, often invoked by events that are sudden and extreme in nature, possibly involving mortality or threat of personal mortality. Though not as thoroughly studied as the physical health effects following these disasters, mental health is a huge issue that needs more attention in relation to natural disasters. PTSD is not the only mental disorder that may occur after a traumatic event: after the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan, those affected “were 1.46 times more likely to commit suicide after the earthquake” (National). Thus mental health, as well as physical health, must be addressed following any level of natural disaster.

In order to prevent such widespread destruction and consequent health problems, many mitigation efforts have been undertaken. Disaster epidemiology, the study of health effects related to disasters, is a field that attempts to control disease and injuries, increasing surveillance of certain areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a set of maps depicting earthquake risk throughout the United States, complete with population density information. Created through the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS), these maps are crucial for predicting areas that may be most vulnerable to natural disasters. Also using GIS, Columbia University and the World Bank have developed the Natural Disaster Hotspots (NDH) project, attempting to map the distribution of natural hazards throughout the world (Abdel, 2007). Hopefully, with the increase of global mitigation initiatives, adverse health effects due to natural disasters will be greatly reduced in the upcoming years.

References

Abdel Ghaffar, E., Boos, J., Ebener, S., El Morjani, Z. E. A., & Musani, A. (2007). Modeling the

spatial distribution of five natural hazards in the context of the WHO/EMRO Atlas of Disaster Risk as a step towards the reduction of the health impact related to disasters. International Journal of Health Geographics, 6(8), 8. 

National Academies Press. Chapter 7: Earth Perturbations and Public Health Impacts. In Earth

            Materials and Health: Research Priorities for Earth Science and Public Health, 99-111.