Public Health and Disasters: Risk Assessment and Mitigation

Public health emergencies can be defined as events that adversely impact the public health system and/or its protective infrastructure such as water, sanitation, shelter, food, fuel and health. Public health emergencies shift the focus of healthcare from individual patients to mass casualties. The objective of a public health emergency is to build and promote the capabilities of health systems, communities and individuals for effectively preventing, protecting against, responding to, and recovering from disasters. The first stage of disaster management is detection, which requires awareness of the situation. It involves communication and the management of information from both clinical and community perspectives. The second stage involves the establishment of an incident management structure. An incident command system (ICS) is a management tool used for centralizing the process of planning, operations, logistics and finance. Safety and security is the third stage in the context of disaster management which allows for a faster and more effective initiation of a response. This book explores the principles of risk assessment and mitigation strategies associated with public health and disasters. It will prove immensely beneficial to students, researchers, and policymakers dealing with the subject of public health and disaster management.