Disasters as Determinant of Health
Disasters normally lead to severe effects on the health of the victims, which could include the loss of lives and property (Leaning & Guha-Sapir, 2013). Some of the most common disasters are earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fire, terrorist attacks, disease epidemics, drought, and landslides. Biological, societal, and natural disasters result in the health of the affected population being in danger while also posing the likelihood of causing harm to the public. Each fresh threat discloses the difficulties for handling health problems and impacts of disasters. In the health sector, disaster risk management denotes the methodical assessment and tackling of medical problems caused by disasters through approaches such as danger and susceptibility lessening for the prevention and alleviation of risks, vigilance, reaction, and recuperation actions.
Similar to emergencies and other calamities, disasters might lead to ill health either explicitly or via the disruption of medical services and establishments that leave many people devoid of access to healthcare in the course of their occurrence (Leaning & Guha-Sapir, 2013). Sometimes they also affect the existing water supplies, roads, and shelter, which cause increased suffering. In modern times, the climate around the world has brought about severe weather incidences, which at times lead to climate refugees. The major challenge is the facilitation of the effectiveness of disaster risk management through shifting focus from recovery and reaction to proactive approaches that underscore mitigation and avoidance, as well as the establishment of national and regional organizations that offer a timely and successful response when necessary. Strong systems anchored in medical care at the society level may decrease underlying susceptibility, safeguard health institutions, and improve response to satisfy the extensive health demands attributable to disasters.
Disaster Impact: Importance of PSAs
Disasters have harmful effects on the victims and occur in different forms that could include hurricanes, tornados, and volcanic eruptions to mention a few. Since some disasters happen devoid of any warning signs, they usually cause great havoc (Boscarino, 2015). In this regard, preparedness is required to boost the possibility of preventing and triumphing over the impact of disasters. One of the most common effects of disasters is the displacement of people. When earthquakes or other forms of disasters strike, they could force many victims to leave their homes in search of shelter in other places. The occurrence of a high number of refugees in a given place negatively affects the accessibility of medical care and education, in addition to the availability of clean water and sufficient food.
Apart from the apparent risks that disasters cause, other impacts could occur later. For instance, flooding could lead to stagnant water that facilitates the breeding of mosquitoes and bacteria, which could result in the death of people after the occurrence of the immediate danger if sufficient aid is not provided. The rising incidences of disasters across the globe necessitate the provision of knowledge and awareness to the public through public service announcements (PSAs) (Boscarino, 2015). PSAs do not just discuss the possible impact of disasters around the world but concentrate on the ones that might be recurrent in a given region. Discussions on the significance of the occurrence of disasters, the best approach to preventing them, and the most suitable safety actions to take when they happen may be highly beneficial for effective prevention and risk management. The provision of vital information makes people enlightened on the means of response and preparedness for disasters.
Reference
Leaning, J., & Guha-Sapir, D. (2013). Natural disasters, armed conflict, and public health. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(19), 1836-1842.
Boscarino, J. A. (2015). Community disasters, psychological trauma, and crisis intervention. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 17(1), 369-371.