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Floods are the most common type of disasters and cause more deaths and damage than other types of disasters. The health consequences of floods vary according to the nature of the flood, geographical and demographic characteristics, and policy arrangements for preparation and consequence management.
Methods:
This study involves a comparative analysis of the response to selected floods in China and Australia as an example of diverse geographical, demographic, and policy environments. The study involved an examination of news and government reports, interviews with key players, site visits, and an analysis of the policy and governance arrangements. A framework for the health consequences of floods was developed and utilized to compare the consequences in each location.
Results:
The health consequences varied considerably with the nature of the flood and the geographical and demographic environment. Flash flooding caused more immediate injuries and deaths, and less effective immediate management because of its rapid and unpredictable onset.
The variation in resources and preparation between the two countries resulted in a demonstrable difference in health consequence management. The long-term outcomes including mental health problems were difficult to identify.
Conclusions:
Effective flood management was shown to reduce the health consequences of floods. These consequences may be immediate, medium-, or long-term, and effective management strategies must address each of these elements.
Australia's highly sophisticated disaster management system minimized the health consequences of floods. Despite its considerable population and other challenges, China has a demonstrated capacity to reduce health impact through improved policy frameworks and resource management.
Since 2006, the Disaster Mental Health Team of the Egyptian Ministry of Health has provided aid during several crises, including the Red Sea Ferry accident, Sinai terrorist attacks, Delta train accident, and others. The Gaza crisis, which has not been resolved at the time of this report, has described as the worst crisis in the Middle East since the 1967 war.
Methods:
The author of this report currently is at the Alarish General Hospital in North Sinai, Egypt.
The report elaborates on the actions of the Disaster Mental Health Team of the Egyptian Ministry of Health during the Gaza crisis in late 2008 and early 2009. Currently, the Team is at the Egypt-Gaza border, working side-by-side with an emergency medical team in North Sinai. The report discuss the approaches of the team and summarizes lessons learned from previous activities.
Currently, the roles of the team include working with the injured, family members, and emergency personnel.
Results:
An in-depth view of the work done by the Egyptian Disaster Mental Health Team during the crisis will be documented, evaluated, and ways to improve future responses will be presented.
Conclusions:
A set of managerial and clinical guidelines for disaster mental health is needed.