Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Puerto Rico Maternal and Child Health Research Programs
| Autor: | John D. Meeker, José F. Cordero, Carmen M. Vélez Vega, Colleen B. Murphy, Hector Torres, Deborah J. Watkins, Gredia Huerta-Montanez, Michael Welton, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, Phil Brown, Elle Russell, Zaira Rosario |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Male
medicine.medical_specialty Maternal-Child Health Services Epidemiology media_common.quotation_subject Disaster Planning Article Disasters 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Community health center Environmental health medicine Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Early childhood Child media_common 030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine Cyclonic Storms Maternal and child health business.industry Public health Puerto Rico Child Health Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Infant Obstetrics and Gynecology Pediatrics Perinatology and Child Health Female Observational study Psychological resilience business Welfare Cohort study |
| Zdroj: | Maternal and Child Health Journal. 24:22-29 |
| ISSN: | 1573-6628 1092-7875 |
| Popis: | Puerto Rico was hit by two major hurricanes in September 2017 causing great devastation, losing over 90% of the power grid, wireless communication and access to potable water, and destroying many homes. Our research programs: Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT), Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico (CRECE), Zika in Infants and Pregnancy (ZIP), and Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) are ongoing observational cohort studies that have been investigating environmental risk factors for perinatal health outcomes among Puerto Rican mothers and infants. Our projects paused operations for about two weeks, to begin recovery process and become a source of assistance, retaining 95% of study participants across all research programs. We joined with various groups to ensure the safety and welfare of team members, study participants, community health center partners, and members of the surrounding communities. We learned important lessons about the impact of these hurricanes and the difficulties of the recovery. Major challenges post-hurricanes were access to care and nutrition, maternal stress, and environmental damage. We understood the need to integrate disaster preparedness into our programs’ operating procedures and future applications, recognizing that these events will recur. We will grow resilience among our staff, maternal and child health partners, and participants by building on the experience of these two storms. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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