We can always battle natural health issues by opting for the necessary treatment or medications. But we cannot control everything, such as natural disasters that cause extensive damage to cities and human lives. From earthquakes to hurricanes, floods to drought, different types of dangerous disasters can destroy cities within seconds. These disasters affect people at the state and community levels. Therefore, governments worldwide have to take solid precautions beforehand to evacuate people quickly from dangerous places. Natural disasters can leave long-lasting impacts on families, so everyone should know beforehand what they must do to survive in such critical situations.
Natural disasters bring massive environmental impacts that put people’s lives at risk. It increases the risk of public health concerns among people, leading to different diseases. Apart from health issues, millions of people lose their homes due to natural disasters. It is hard to imagine the people’s state of mind in such a situation when they are struggling to find shelter. Also, it gets worse when they have no food and other daily life facilities. Let’s find out some of the common threats to public health after a natural disaster.
Mental Health Issues
Whenever a natural disaster occurs, people have to experience different types of loss. From businesses to homes to precious lives, natural disasters do not have mercy for anything. When people go through such tragic losses, it affects their mental health. In such cases, the role of state government becomes crucial because they have to act fast to control the situation. It is important to hire individuals with relevant qualifications such as a disaster management degree who can act quickly.
Also, relevant authorities should provide necessary training to the professionals working in disaster management. It will nurture their skills to provide necessary care to individuals who have to go through emotional trauma due to the severity of the disaster.
It takes some time when the after-effects of natural disasters to become evident. But the first thing that it affects is the mental health of people when they witness the damage. Stress and mental fatigue are common among the survivors of natural disasters, which can have long-term effects on their overall health. Constant depression, post-traumatic stress, and chronic stress can affect the entire health function of the body.
Infection and Physical Injuries
Disasters like rising water levels, high winds, and earthquakes can cause immediate physical injuries. Also, injuries can happen during evacuation when people are in a hurry to move to a safe place. A big responsibility lies on the shoulders of emergency care providers, as they have to ensure that people are transferred safely to another location.
Also, flood water is one of the lethal disasters that cause serious injuries. When people cannot clearly see whether they are swimming or walking in floods, they can fall anywhere. The uneven ground and uncovered sewers become a serious threat in such situations which can cause a fracture. While waking in the floodwater, people don’t even know where they are walking, so they can get injured due to sharp objects. Once an injury occurs in the polluted water, it can lead to infections that can worsen things.
According to a research study, the risk of injury from swimming creatures in natural disasters also increases. A study revealed that in 2017 when the hurricane hit Houston, people saw snakes and alligators. It becomes almost impossible to deal with such dangerous creators in disastrous situations. Therefore, it is important to take precautions beforehand to prevent people from life-threatening injuries.
Risk of Vector-borne Diseases
Different diseases spread among people due to vectors such as mosquitoes. Cyclones, floods, and hurricanes can cause an increase in the vector population which can cause various diseases among people, such as dengue and malaria. Most countries take preventable measures to control vector-borne diseases by spraying pesticides. But such actions become ineffective during heavy flooding or rain.
Another dangerous virus that can occur due to extreme weather conditions is Zika. According to different studies, the Zika virus can cause congenital disabilities and different complications related to pregnancy. This virus has been reportedly found in the US and different parts of the world. The increase in mosquito breeding is common due to heavy rain or flooding. Therefore, the best solution in such situations is to find a safe place where there is a lesser risk of exposure to this virus.
Risk of Communicable Diseases
When many people gather in one small safe place, the bacteria and viruses can be transferred easily from one person to another. It can cause health issues like flu and cough or cold. Respiratory issues can cause pneumonia, and survival becomes tough, especially for older adults with vulnerable immune systems.
Bacteria and germs can spread rapidly from one person to another through respiratory droplets. Coughing openly and making physical contact in crowded places can increase the risk of communicable diseases. Emergency shelters become vulnerable to such types of outbreaks. A crowded place with poor ventilation makes it really tough for people to maintain normal hygiene standards.
Also, people need to be aware of the risks of the spread of diseases due to dead bodies left due to natural disasters. If someone has died due to a particular infection such as ebola or cholera, it can cause an outbreak. Therefore, body recovery should be considered a major health concern for the other survivors.
Conclusion
Natural disasters have the ability to destroy entire civilizations, and there can be no worse feeling than the fear of losing your home and loved ones. The geographical location holds special significance when it comes to natural disasters. So, you need to take measures beforehand according to your location and weather conditions. Also, a huge responsibility lies on the state governments to provide necessary care to the people if any unexpected event occurs. They should also offer necessary evacuation and survival training to people to reduce the risk of casualties. Any type of financial loss can be recovered, but human life matters the most. So, relevant authorities have to think in the right direction to take disaster management steps and minimize the effects of these disasters.
