Leanne Auyeung – NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters

August 10, 2023August 25, 2023

WHO First Summit On Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge, Health and Well-Being

From July 25th to 28, 2023, World Health Organization (WHO) hosted its first global summit on biodiversity, traditional knowledge, health and well-being in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Indigenous communities often have unique access to medicinal plants and interactions with their natural surrounding. As a result, their environment more directly affects their food security, livelihoods, health and well-being.

July 30, 2023August 1, 2023

Bangladesh Hospital Labs Overloaded by Outbreak of Dengue Fever

*Aedes mosquito, a vector for dengue fever. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.*

A recent outbreak of dengue fever in Bangladesh has killed at least 176 people. According to the Directorate General of Health Services, many children have caught dengue fever and are at a greater risk of developing shock syndrome. Although dengue cases occur every year in Bangladesh, the death rate for the disease is the highest it has been in the last five years.

July 23, 2023July 25, 2023

Nancy Daneau’s Case Study on the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Tohoku earthquake, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan, caused a tsunami that killed 18,000 people and displaced countless others on March 11, 2011. Widespread infrastructure damage from the tsunami included the Fukushima nuclear power plant which resulted in leaked radiation, explosions, and the forced evacuations of over 150,000 people.

July 16, 2023July 18, 2023

Omary Perez’s Case Study on the Bhopal Gas Leak Tragedy

Inside the UCC pesticide factory in Bhopal, India after the gas leak. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

On December 2, 1984, a gas leak at the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) pesticide plant in Bhopal, India resulted in around 45 tons of toxic chemicals leaking into surrounding neighborhoods. Considered one of history’s deadliest industrial accidents, the event resulted in approximately 15,000-20,000 deaths while 600,000 survivors suffered from respiratory diseases, blindness, miscarriages, and other serious health concerns.

June 25, 2023June 26, 2023

Pakistan Faces a Developing Nutrition Crisis

Pakistan is suffering from a major food shortage triggered by last summer’s devastating floods and pre-existing economic issues. The developing crisis has hit citizens of low socioeconomic status the hardest. Cities such as Mirpur Khas have seen residents lining up for hours to buy wheat flour. In one instance, several people were injured as a crowd of people jostled to buy flour, reports Time Magazine.

June 20, 2023June 26, 2023

Has This June Been Hotter Than Normal?

With a long streak of warm weather this month, you might be wondering if this June has been a hotter than usual. A new report by the New York Times found that the early summer temperature rise can be attributed to a combination of heat-trapping gas emissions from human activities and the reoccurrence of El Nino, a natural climate pattern.

June 9, 2023June 13, 2023

Building Synergies Between Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action

On May 24, 2023, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the United Nations in the UAE hosted a webinar to discuss coordination and collaboration between work in climate action and disaster risk reduction. With this webinar, UNDRR hoped to engage the public stakeholders in climate-related topics to prepare for the Climate Change Conference (COP28) set to take place at the end of 2023.

May 28, 2023May 29, 2023

Hsin-Yi Chang’s Case Study Presentation on the Indian Ocean Tsunami

In a case study, Hsin-Yi discusses the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Brought on by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake, the disaster resulted in 228,000 fatalities and $4.5 billion in damages. The most affected groups among those impacted by tsunami were vulnerable populations such as young children and the elderly.

May 21, 2023May 29, 2023

Jaclyn Perhati, Joey Horvath, Sofia Manzi, and Teniyah Vinson’s Qualtrics Report on Public Perceptions of Pandemic Preparedness and Response

A study by a group of NYU students aims to evaluate the relationship between public perception of, attitude towards, and experiences associated with COVID-19 along with sources for COVID-19 related knowledge and adherence to government recommendations. The group analyzed data collected from 75 respondents’ answers to a 21-question survey.

May 9, 2023June 5, 2023

Mitigation Plan for Food Security and Mental Health Crises in Karamoja

Photos by Gina de la Chesnaye. Left: *Signs of Severe Malnutrition in Lorikwokwa Village, Moroto District, Karamoja 2022.* Right: *Little ones. Matany Village. Napak District. Karamoja Region. Uganda. August 2022.*

In this mitigation plan, Gina de la Chesnaye, Nelia Ekeji, Yemima Prophete, and Priya Nagreddy present two training exercises to mitigate the impact of food insecurity in Karamoja and the mental health stress associated with disasters.