| Popis: |
Our understanding of the health effects of disasters and populations disrupted by war or civil strife and how to respond effectively and responsibly to them has expanded greatly in the last several decades and continues to grow. Most of the morbidity and mortality in disasters of all types result from population displacement. Displaced populations, especially those in resource-poor areas with little or no developed civil and public health infrastructure, almost always experience significantly higher morbidity and mortality than their pre-disaster status. Since the mid-1990s the international humanitarian community has developed scientifically based consensus standards (The Sphere Project and others) for providing water and sanitation, shelter, and primary health care to these populations, focused on meeting the highest-priority needs that include prevention and treatment of acute diarrhea and dehydration, measles, malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, and several other conditions. Health care professionals responding to humanitarian crises must be prepared to adapt their practices to provide care that is appropriate to the type of disaster and the particular circumstances and resources available. |
