Public Health Assessments in Disaster Settings: Recommendations for a Multidisciplinary Approach

• 2012

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• Josephine Malilay
PMID: 11227604DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X00025279

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About

The article discusses rapid assessments of needs and health status conducted by the U.S. CDC in natural disaster settings, focusing on information gathering during emergencies. It reviews eight assessments from hurricanes, an ice storm, and an earthquake, analyzing methods, applications, and the use of results by policymakers. The objective is to evaluate the assessments' strengths, limitations, and utility, comparing similarities and differences across disaster types, timing, and settings. Results show most assessments were done within 1 week post-event, addressing demographics, health, food, water, and utilities restoration. Policy actions resulted from five assessments, highlighting the importance of health assessments in guiding relief activities and improving methodologies.

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Tags

Focus Area: Natural Disasters

Audience: Public Health Professionals

Emergency Management Stages: Mitigation; Response

Bundle: Disaster Research Literature Review

Keywords: Decision Making, Organizational; Demography; Disaster Planning; Disasters; Dominican Republic; Emergency Medical Services; Epidemiologic Methods; Health Status; Public Health; Public Health Practice; Turkey; United States; Humans; Needs Assessment

Institutions: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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