Synopses & Reviews
Natural and man-made disasters--earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, industrial crises, and many others--have claimed more than 3 million lives during the past 20 years, adversely affected the lives of at least 800 million people, and caused more than 50 billion dollars in property damages. A major disaster occurs almost daily in some part of the world. Increasing population densities in flood plains, along vulnerable coastal areas, and near dangerous faults in the earth's crust, as well as the rapid industrialization of developing economies are factors likely to make the threat posed by natural disasters much bigger in the future.
Illustrated with examples from recent research in the field, this book summarizes the most pertinent and useful information about the public health impact of natural and man-made disasters. It is divided into four sections dealing with general concerns, geophysical events, weather-related problems, and human-generated disasters. The author starts with a comprehensive discussion of the concepts and role of surveillance and epidemiology, highlighting general environmental health concerns, such as sanitation, water, shelter, and sewage. The other chapters, based on a variety of experiences and literature drawn from both developing and industrialized countries, cover discrete types of natural and technological hazards, addressing their history, origin, nature, observation, and control.
Throughout the book the focus is on the level of epidemiologic knowledge on each aspect of natural and man-made disasters. Exposure-, disease-, and health-event surveillance are stressed because of the importance of objective data to disaster epidemiology. In addition, Noji pays particular attention to prevention and control measures, and provides practical recommendations in areas in which the public health practitioner needs more useful information. He advocates stronger epidemiologic awareness as the basis for better understanding and control of disasters. A comprehensive theoretical and practical treatment of the subject, The Public Health Consequences of Disasters is an invaluable tool for epidemiologists, disaster relief specialists, and physicians who treat disaster victims.
Synopsis
This book summarizes the most recent and useful information about the public health impact of natural disasters, illustrated by examples fro m recent research in the field. The author starts with a section on th e concepts and role of surveillance and epidemiology, highlighting gen eral environmental health health concerns. The other chapters cover di screte types of natural and technological hazards, covering their hist ory, origin, nature, observation, prevention, and control. Throughout the book the focus is on the level of epidemiologic knowledge on each aspect of natural disasters. Noji emphasizes the need for better epide miologic awareness as the basis for better understanding and control o f the different types of disasters. Each chapter is based on a variety of experiences and literature drawn from both developing and industri alized countries.
Synopsis
Illustrated with examples from recent research in the field, this book summarizes the most pertinent and useful information about the public health impact of natural and man-made disasters. It is divided into four sections dealing with general concerns, geophysical events, weather-related problems, and human-generated disasters. The author starts with a comprehensive discussion of the concepts and role of surveillance and epidemiology, highlighting general environmental health health concerns, such as sanitation, water, shelter, and sewage. The other chapters, based on a variety of experiences and literature drawn from both developing and industrialized countries, cover discrete types of natural and technological hazards, addressing their history, origin, nature, observation, and control. Throughout the book the focus is on the level of epidemiologic knowledge on each aspect of natural and man-made disasters. Exposure-, disease-, and health-event surveillance are stressed because of the importance of objective data to disaster epidemiology. In addition, Noji pays particular attention to prevention and control measures, and provides practical recommendations in areas in which the public health practitioner needs more useful information. He advocates stronger epidemiologic awareness as the basis for better understanding and control of disasters. A comprehensive theoretical and practical treatment of the subject, The Public Health Consequences of Disasters is an invaluable tool for epidemiologists, disaster relief specialists, and physicians who treat disaster victims.
About the Author
Eric K. Noji, M.D., M.P.H., is Chief of the International Emergency and Refugee Health Unit at the Centers for Disease Control's International Health Program Office. He also serves as Director of the Center for Disease Control's World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Table of Contents
I. General Issues Introduction Eric K. Noji
1. The Nature of Disasters, Eric K. Noji
2. The Use of Epidemiologic Methods in Disasters, Eric K. Noji
3. Surveillance and Epidemiology, Scott Weatherall and Eric K. Noji
4. Managing the Environmental Health Aspects of Disasters: Water, Human Excreta and Shelter, Scott R. Lillibridge
5. Communicable Diseases and Disease Control after Disasters, Michael J. Toole
6. Mental Health Consequences of Disasters, Ellen Gerrity and Brian W. Flynn
7. Effective Media Relations, R. Elliott Churchill
II. Geophysical Events
8. Earthquakes, Eric K. Noji
9. Volcanoes, Peter Baxter
III. Weather-Related Problems
10. Tropical Cyclones, Josephine Malilay
11. Tornadoes, Scott R. Lillibridge
12. Heat Waves and Hot Environments, Edwin Kilbourne
13. Cold Environments, Edwin Kilbourne
14. Floods, Josephine Malilay
IV. Human-Generated Problems
15. Famine, Ray Yip
16. Air Pollution, Ruth Etzel and Jean G. French
17. Industrial Disasters, Scott R. Lillibridge
18. Fires, Lee M. Sanderson
19. Nuclear-Reactor Incidents, Robert C. Whitcomb and Michael Sage
20. Complex Emergencies, Michael J. Toole