The Role of Public Health in Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding

Introduction

Disasters can be due to natural causes or man-made. Both affect the general population economically as well as physically. Earthquakes, hurricanes, heavy rains, and tornadoes have left millions of people homeless, and some have been injured because of the disasters. Notable, these incidents are not considered disastrous if not for these effects on the general public. Since disasters can increase the human toll, public health interventions to mitigate the damage are important.

How Do Disasters Directly Impact the Health of the Population?

Very particularly, injuries and deaths are the most obvious impact on the population due to a disaster. Every year, around 300 natural disasters occur, taking a death toll of 250000 lives globally. During the last two decades, deaths related to natural disasters were estimated to be three million, and at least 800 million were injured or had a negative effect due to the disaster. Following are the ways in which the public was affected by natural disasters:

• Injuries resulting in morbidity and mortality.

• Drowning and fatal injuries due to hurricanes.

• Fatalities and building collapse cause grave injuries as a result of earthquakes.

• Communicable disease outbreaks such as cholera.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the tables and challenged healthcare platforms.

• Acute and chronic illnesses post-disaster.

• Psychological effects, such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), anxiety, and depression.

• Damage to physical infrastructure.

• Loss of close family members and friends.

• Loss of normal living conditions.

What Is the Role of Public Health in Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding?

Public health sectors should conduct routine screening, which comprises better immunization coverage and improved environmental control during a disaster phase. There should always be preparedness, which can reduce the adverse outcomes in the event of a disaster. The hospital buildings themselves need to be protected in case of a disaster like an earthquake, as the equipment inside the hospital is essential and aids in managing the patients during a disaster. Therefore, steps should be taken to prevent damage to hospital buildings and other health sectors for effective functioning and endless patient care in the aftermath of a disaster.

What Are the Pre-disaster Priorities of the Public Health Sector?

Following are the four essential pre-disaster priorities in which the public health sector should actively participate. These priorities are critical for both improving short and long-term healthcare outcomes:

1. Conduct Community Health Assessments: The public health sector should participate in comprehensive community health assessments before a disaster occurs. These assessments will help in providing a better understanding of the vulnerabilities, health needs, and resources within the community, laying the groundwork for targeted disaster response and recovery strategies.

2. Partnerships: Involve local community partners in advance health enhancement and recovery planning. The involvement of stakeholders in the planning process is very important and facilitates the tailored needs of the needy population.

3. Integration of Public Health Services: Incorporate public health initiatives and services into comprehensive community wellness and disaster recovery planning. This integration guarantees that health-related factors take a central role in shaping the overarching recovery strategy.

4. Pre-disaster Preparedness: The work undertaken in pre-disaster preparedness can be effectively employed during the recovery phase. Public health agencies should harmonize their preparedness initiatives with recovery planning to ensure a seamless transition and the uninterrupted delivery of care.

How Does Public Health Help in Disaster Recovery and Rebuilding?

• Community recovery comprises the capacity to point out crucial assets and various sectors like human services, emergency management, public health, behavioral health, and environmental health. These resources help in prioritizing recovery operations.

• Public health should aim to restore health sectors with partnership from stakeholders for day-to-day function at least, and later, it can be restored to the pre-incident level.

• Following a disaster, the public health sector encounters challenges that extend far beyond the initial response phase. Its responsibilities not only include mobilizing a collaborative recovery effort involving multiple sectors to address long-term health requirements but also maintaining a steadfast focus on executing the fundamental routine functions.

• These essential functions involve promoting overall health, safeguarding against unsafe or hazardous conditions, preventing the spread of disease, and disseminating reliable health information.

• Recovery encompasses the tasks of identifying and closely monitoring recovery requirements, orchestrating recovery activities, and executing necessary measures to reduce the impact of future incidents.

• The CDC (Center for Disease Control) with its mission focused on safeguarding the country from health, safety, and security threats, holds a distinctive position to promote a holistic, community-oriented approach to disaster recovery.

• While the engagement of public health in both pre- and post-disaster community planning for recovery may pose a fresh challenge for the sector, it is important to acknowledge that numerous fundamental capabilities needed for effective recovery are already established within communities.

Why Is Partnership Important for Disaster Recovery?

In both typical, non-crisis circumstances and the aftermath of a disaster, public health agencies play an important role as facilitators, utilizing partnerships with both health-related and non-health-related sectors. This is done to drive enhancements in health outcomes at both individual and community levels. Nevertheless, the success of the public health sector in disaster recovery hinges significantly on advance planning, a thorough understanding of the demographic makeup and health status of the community before a disaster occurs, and a well-established network of connections and partnerships with various governmental and non-governmental sectors.

Therefore, public health sectors need to establish effective relationships with stakeholders from various sectors, including housing, transportation, education, and behavioral health, well in advance of any disaster. This proactive approach ensures that the actions taken by each sector during the recovery phase not only fulfill their primary functions but also contribute to achieving improved health outcomes and fostering a healthier post-disaster community.

Conclusion

Consequences due to disasters are complex and irreversibly damage the population. They also directly impact the population due to physical and mental trauma. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary precautions, thereby preventing the expected adverse outcomes after a disaster. Preparedness before a disaster and immediate intervention after a disaster can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality linked to disasters.