Natural disasters, coping with the health impact: disease control priorities project
According to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in 2002, international disasters affected 608 million people and killed more than 24,000. Disasters are unusual public health events that overwhelm the coping capacity of the affected community. A public health approach to disaster risk management should focus on decreasing the vulnerability of communities through prevention and mitigation measures and increasing the coping capacity and preparedness of the health sector and community. This fact sheet will focus on cost-effective solutions to address natural disasters.