UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE

HS 2212 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT UNIT 1: SHAKEN TO THE CORE

Based on the definition given by the Programme on Disease Control in Humanitarian

Emergencies Communicable Disease Cluster of the World Health Organization, natural disasters

are said to be “catastrophic events with atmospheric, geologic and hydrologic origins.” (World

Health Organization, 2006) The same article goes on to mention that natural disasters have

claimed the lives of millions of people and “developing countries are disproportionately affected

because of their lack of resources, infrastructure and disaster preparedness systems.”

1. Imagine and describe the living conditions or other characteristics of the disaster

situation in your locale. What kind of damage occurred as a result of the earthquake? If

you are near an ocean, was there a tsunami? Fire, flooding, or even nuclear fallout could be

at play depending on the characteristics of your locale. Take inventory of the public

services in your community that are still available and those that have been lost.

When the earthquake happened, everyone was caught off guard as the idea of an earth-shaking

event happening in a town that was far away from the sea (the epicenter of the earthquake). The

earthquake’s tremors were not that concerning, or, at least that is what we thought. When we

were told to watch the local news, we were expecting to hear that it was all over, however, we

learned that the local dam had been stressed by the tremors. We all knew the implications; a

flood was eminent. Some people managed to escape to nearby towns but most of us

procrastinated. The flood was tremendous and it even received global media coverage. Its

unfortunate that I have to say this, but most people lost their lives, livelihood and definitely lost
their properties. Such a disaster had never happened before. Mud slides eventually followed,

making it hard to escape.

2. After conducting research into the threat of disease in a disaster situation, describe

which specific communicable diseases pose the greatest threat to your area. In what ways

could those diseases arise from the damaged infrastructure, living conditions, and

disruption in facilities or services?

Currently, there is a water crisis in my community, being driven by a shortage of chlorine. If this

event happens again, there will be an explosion of medical conditions like typhoid, cholera and

possibly other diseases that are a result of drinking contaminated water. As water services are

halted, for instance, due to lack of chlorine, and a flood gives people an alternative source of

water. In a crisis of such a nature or magnitude, no one really pays attention to the minute

medical details. The study warns that the “risk of diarrheal disease outbreaks following natural

disasters is higher in developing than in developed countries.” (World Health Organization,

2006) Some health risks to consider include contact transmissible diseases like scabies.

The flooding conditions can create a breeding ground for organisms like mosquitoes that can act

as vectors and transmit the diseases that can pose a serious threat to the affected communities.

This was observed in the year 1991 in Costa Rica. (World Health Organization, 2006)

Clearly, we must not forget about the current COVID-9 pandemic, regardless of the fact that it is

a disease that has recently popped out of Pandora’s box. The new airborne virus is more mutative

than first assumed and in a natural disaster like an earthquake, people’s immune system has been
greatly affected by many factors, especially the lack of proper nutrition. Low vaccination rates in

my area can lead to a serious problem. (World Health Organization, 2006)

3. Prepare a brief report to be delivered to local authorities including specific actions

that should be taken to prevent disease. What are the priorities, equipment, personnel, or

other factors needed to prevent the loss of more lives?

The idea of being able to do prevent an epidemic introduced by a natural disaster is a noble goal.

In such an event, it is important to collect data regarding how the disaster has affected the

residents of that community, mainly on how the infrastructure has collapsed as a strategy to see

if there are any people who have been trapped or caved in the debris. In most countries they have

introduced disaster relief initiatives, whereby the people in a disaster-struck zone get assistance

from trained personnel. They also provide the affected communities with clean and fresh water.

It is these teams that assist in relocation of the victims. In the event of an earthquake, the use of

seismic wave detectors is advised. As a strategy to move the survivors to safety, helicopters or

even boats are used depending on the nature of the disaster. (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 2010.)
Conclusion

It has been fully confirmed that in the face of a natural disaster, some are affected directly whilst

some end up getting affected by health risks that arise as a result the respective natural disaster or

disasters. It is a generally accepted fact that natural disasters are becoming more prevalent than

usual, as we speak, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have been hit by a

tropical cyclone. Hundreds of people have lost their lives as a direct consequence of the disaster

but humanitarian organizations have raised concerns over the possibility of the spread of

communicable illnesses, especially COVID-19. However, I am hopeful that these people will be

helped in time. We can learn a lot from the Haiti disaster and fight a disease outbreak before it

claims even more lives. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010.)

References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010. Cholera Confirmed in Haiti, October 21,

2010. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5943a4.htm

World Health Organization. 2006. Communicable diseases following natural disasters- Risk

assessment and priority interventions. Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/diseasecontrol_emergencies/en/