Disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes place a heavy load on the health of the affected communities and jeopardise the ability of local health systems to meet urgent medical requirements. Experts offer a number of low-cost strategies in Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, Second Edition (DCP2) to lessen the health burden that natural catastrophes cause.
Disasters are a challenge for public health
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 608 million people were impacted by international disasters in 2002, which resulted in over 24,000 fatalities.
Unusual public health occurrences like disasters are too much for the afflicted population to handle. They are typically divided into categories based on what caused the incident immediately:
Technological catastrophes, such chemical spills; • Natural disasters, where the cause is a natural phenomena or hazard (geological, biological, or climatic); or • Complex situations, including civil wars and conflicts.
