Chapter 4:

The ABCs of Public Health Response to Disasters

edical providers must understand the impact of disasters on the public health infrastructure in order to have an efficient medical response. The challenges related to this task are twofold:

• The needs assessment must be performed concurrently with the provision of medical services.
• Planning the response will be based, of necessity, on limited assessment information.

• Assessing the magnitude of a disaster
• Assessing lifeline services—Determining the disruption of lifeline services, including potable water supply, sanitation capacity, food supply, shelter, and electricity is critical to the relief effort
• Assessing the local response capacity

Cardinal Questions of a Rapid Needs Assessment

1. What are the health and medical consequences of the event?
   
2. Are there current or future infrastructure problems regarding:

1. Health and medical issues
   • Immediate life-threatening injury/illness
   • Epidemic and endemic diseases
   • Disrupted/overwhelmed services
2. Potable water: quality and quantity
   Food: quality and quantity
   Shelter
   Sanitation
   

3. Is the local community able to respond?
   
4. How is the community communicating?
   
5. Is outside assistance needed?
   
6. Is the appropriate assistance being provided?