Introduction According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2012), disaster epidemiology refers to the use of epidemiology for assessing the short and long term health effects of disaster in order to predict consequences for future disasters. However, it is futile to understand the health effects of disasters outside a concise definition of what actually constitutes natural disasters. To this effect, Watson, Gayer, & Connolly (2007) define natural disasters as catastrophic events of geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric origins such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, drought, floods, tsunamis, and landslides. Khan, Schwartz, & Johnson (2014) also provide a simpler definition stating that natural disasters are sudden and unexpected natural catastrophes that result in great damage and loss of life. There occurrence is characterized by either a slow or rapid onset. Over the past two decades, natural disasters have been responsible for killing millions of people, besides adversely affecting the lives of over a billion people from a socio-economic perspective (Lemonick, 2011). The importance of addressing the epidemiological effects of natural disasters is founded on the premise that such disasters essentially result in health risk factors.
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According to the CDC (2012), risk factors range from environmental health, behavioral health, mental health, injury, chronic diseases, to acute and communicable diseases. All these risk factors become prevalent after the initial occurrence of a natural disaster. Hence, in this regard, it is of utmost importance for humanities to not only understand them, but also to develop ways or mitigating their occurrence in the event disaster strikes. Therefore, the purpose of this literature is to examine the epidemiological effects after effects of natural disasters and the preparation efforts undertaken by the government, health groups, and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the mitigation of resulting health effects. Existing Perceptions Regarding Disaster Epidemiology According to Watson et al. (2007), there exists an innate misconception in regards to the relationship between natural disasters and the risk of health outbreaks such as communicable diseases. The rationale for this inconsistency if perhaps founded on the fear that arises after a natural disaster due to the resulting grave loss of life and damage of property. In this regard, it can be deduced that dead bodies are likely t be associated with diseases, and damage to certain properties is likely to result in environmental health concerns. A key driver for the exaggeration of the misconception between disasters and health effects is the media. According to Watson et al. (2007), the media, more often than not, compounds the risk factors associated with natural disasters. In this regard, the public is often led to believe that areas affected recently by natural disasters are in constant danger of health epidemics. However, this misconception is dispelled by Lemonick (2011), who states that the principal driver of epidemiological effects of disasters is population displacement and crowding. Lemonick (2011) further asserts that the health risks after the occurrence of natural disasters are not the same for each country or region. Watson et al. (2007) agrees by stating that developing countries, for instance, are disproportionately affected because they essentially lack the resources, infrastructure, and level of preparedness as compared to developed countries or regions. As such, Lemonick (2011) asserts that the occurrence of health epidemics in developing countries is limited to well-known and common infectious diseases. In regards to the association between dead bodies, both human and animal, and disease prevalence, no evidence exists to suggest that the exposure to dead bodies after a disaster results in infectious disease epidemics. As a matter of fact, according to Watson et al. (2007) if the deaths area associated primarily due to the disaster, human and animal remains do not pose a risk for disease outbreak. The Epidemiological Effects of Natural Disasters According to the Pan American Health Organization (2000), a key point to be noted in regards to the epidemiological effects of natural disaster is that “the actual and potential health risks after a disaster do not all happen at the same time.” In contrast, they tend to occur at different times and with varying importance within the area affected by a disaster. Mental and Behavioral Health Effects According to Galea, Nandi, & Vlahov (2005), there is no question as to
According to the CDC (2012), risk factors range from environmental health, behavioral health, mental health, injury, chronic diseases, to acute and communicable diseases. All these risk factors become prevalent after the initial occurrence of a natural disaster. Hence, in this regard, it is of utmost importance for humanities to not only understand them, but also to develop ways or mitigating their occurrence in the event disaster strikes. Therefore, the purpose of this literature is to examine the epidemiological effects after effects of natural disasters and the preparation efforts undertaken by the government, health groups, and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the mitigation of resulting health effects. Existing Perceptions Regarding Disaster Epidemiology According to Watson et al. (2007), there exists an innate misconception in regards to the relationship between natural disasters and the risk of health outbreaks such as communicable diseases. The rationale for this inconsistency if perhaps founded on the fear that arises after a natural disaster due to the resulting grave loss of life and damage of property. In this regard, it can be deduced that dead bodies are likely t be associated with diseases, and damage to certain properties is likely to result in environmental health concerns. A key driver for the exaggeration of the misconception between disasters and health effects is the media. According to Watson et al. (2007), the media, more often than not, compounds the risk factors associated with natural disasters. In this regard, the public is often led to believe that areas affected recently by natural disasters are in constant danger of health epidemics. However, this misconception is dispelled by Lemonick (2011), who states that the principal driver of epidemiological effects of disasters is population displacement and crowding. Lemonick (2011) further asserts that the health risks after the occurrence of natural disasters are not the same for each country or region. Watson et al. (2007) agrees by stating that developing countries, for instance, are disproportionately affected because they essentially lack the resources, infrastructure, and level of preparedness as compared to developed countries or regions. As such, Lemonick (2011) asserts that the occurrence of health epidemics in developing countries is limited to well-known and common infectious diseases. In regards to the association between dead bodies, both human and animal, and disease prevalence, no evidence exists to suggest that the exposure to dead bodies after a disaster results in infectious disease epidemics. As a matter of fact, according to Watson et al. (2007) if the deaths area associated primarily due to the disaster, human and animal remains do not pose a risk for disease outbreak. The Epidemiological Effects of Natural Disasters According to the Pan American Health Organization (2000), a key point to be noted in regards to the epidemiological effects of natural disaster is that “the actual and potential health risks after a disaster do not all happen at the same time.” In contrast, they tend to occur at different times and with varying importance within the area affected by a disaster. Mental and Behavioral Health Effects According to Galea, Nandi, & Vlahov (2005), there is no question as to