Protecting the living environment of survivors in congregate shelters during disasters: is public health ready? (20m Lecture)

Disasters are complex events that require quick and simplified ways for gaining situational awareness about the health status and needs of the affected populations. Public health assessments in disaster settings are rapid epidemiological methods designed for the rapid collection, analysis and dissemination of information necessary for decision making. These assessment tools capture a variety of data and critical information ranging from health and medical issues of the affected populations to environmental health needs. One particular type of public health assessment, a shelter assessment, focuses on the living environment of disaster survivors or victims. 

Shelters play an important role in protecting people. These congregate settings protect and contribute to their occupant’s safety and survival in disaster situations. Shelters provide the basic human needs of the evacuees or disaster survivors such as food and water. The safety of congregate shelters is an important priority for the public health agencies during any disaster response. In 2013 a cross-sectional survey was conducted to ascertain how many state and territorial jurisdictions are familiar with or have adopted the use of environmental health shelter assessment procedures. The survey tool was used to elicit responses from all 50 US states, the District of Columbia and 5 US territories. The survey was carried-out between May and August 2013 with a response rate of 98%. We will discuss preliminary findings about how prevalent these assessments are in public health agencies.