Picture credit score: bigstockphoto.com
When a pure catastrophe strikes, our consideration is usually drawn to the lives misplaced, destroyed properties, flooded roads and different injury to infrastructure. However the injury attributable to pure disasters isn’t restricted to the occasion itself. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and different such occasions usually usher in huge public well being disasters, which proceed lengthy after the storm has handed. On this article, you’ll study concerning the often-overlooked results of pure disasters on bodily and psychological well being. We’ll additionally cowl the position that climate change is perhaps enjoying within the frequency of such occasions, and the brand new applied sciences and steps that the general public can take to guard themselves within the occasion of those disasters.
When excessive climate occasions like hurricanes, floods or tsunamis happen, or a pure catastrophe like an earthquake occurs, the primary group of casualties is those that are wounded or killed throughout the precise occasion. Others could also be killed or damage by secondary results of the catastrophe – as an example, individuals will be electrocuted on account of energy strains that got here down throughout a storm after that storm has handed, or suffocate underneath rubble after an earthquake. Most individuals who die because of a pure catastrophe die throughout the occasion itself, or inside one hour of the catastrophe hanging. In most disasters, it’s very tough to get assist onto the scene inside that first hour.
One of many greatest well being dangers related to pure disasters is the outbreak of communicable ailments. In some circumstances, this is because of floodwater which can be contaminated with sewage and different pollution. The final breakdown in public well being infrastructure following a pure catastrophe will also be a contributing issue. This may be lethal wherever, however the results will probably be most pronounced in growing international locations, which can not have good sanitation or public well being programs in place to start with.
Ailments like cholera and malaria can unfold quickly in these situations. These sicknesses, in addition to different well being issues, will also be exacerbated by lack of entry to scrub water or meals, which regularly occurs after an excessive climate occasion.
For some individuals, the worst well being issues that have an effect on them due to a pure catastrophe are unseen. These kinds of occasions can have dangerous results on the psychological well being of survivors as properly. Many individuals who survive a catastrophe will be emotionally traumatized by their expertise. Publish-traumatic stress dysfunction, or PTSD, will be very debilitating. In lots of circumstances, psychological trauma isn’t identified till months after the occasion, since victims are sometimes in shock throughout a catastrophe and within the quick aftermath.
Proceed to Web page 2
