Post-earthquake illness and disease after the Chi-Chi earthquake

The Impact of Earthquakes on Public Health: A Narrative Review of Infectious Diseases in the Post-Disaster Period Aiming to Disaster Risk Reduction

Earthquakes are among the most impressive natural phenomena with very high potential to set off a chain of effects that significantly affects public health through casualties and injuries. Related disasters are attributed not only to the strong ground motion and coseismic phenomena but also to secondary effects, comprising mainly landslides and tsunamis, among others. All these can create harsh conditions favorable for the emergence of infectious diseases that are capable of causing additional human and economic losses and disruption of the emergency and recovery process. The present study comprises an extensive narrative review of the existing literature on the earthquake-triggered infectious diseases recorded worldwide, along with their symptoms, causative pathogens, associated risk factors, most vulnerable population groups, and prevention strategies. Respiratory, gastrointestinal, and vector-borne diseases, as well as wound and skin infections, are mainly recorded among the earthquake-affected population. Measures for effectively preventing earthquake-triggered infectious diseases are also proposed. One of the widely proposed measures is the establishment of a proper disease surveillance system in order to immediately and effectively identify the pre- and post-disaster occurrence of infectious diseases. This approach significantly contributes to disease trends monitoring, validation of early warning, and support of the emergency response and recovery actions.

Taiwan's medical response to the 921 'Chi-Chi' earthquake

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify and review literature relevant to the medical response to the 921 earthquake in order to analyse Taiwan's immediate and long-term management of the medical issues arising from the disaster.

METHODS

Pubmed and Google Scholar searches were conducted in June 2008 to identify papers relevant to the topic. These were reviewed and the findings of each collated to develop a critical review of Taiwan's response to the earthquake. Pubmed and Google Scholar searches were conducted again in March 2010 to verify the currency of the literature reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 14 papers were identified and reviewed. Many concluded that while disaster response efforts were initiated quickly, the inexperience of the authorities, the timing and location of the earthquake, and the associated destruction of vital infrastructure, meant much of the initial rescue planning and coordination was improvised. This resulted in poor response times by emergency teams, inefficient mobilisation of military and medical resources, poor cooperation between authorities and a failure to fully utilise international assistance when it arrived.

CONCLUSION

Taiwan was unprepared for a disaster of the magnitude of the 921 earthquake. The government has since taken initiatives to ensure Taiwan is better prepared for any future large scale disaster, including the establishment of the National Institute for Disaster Management. There is a paucity of literature on the medical response to the disaster. Only one new paper of relevance to the topic has been listed on Pubmed or Google Scholar in recent years.