NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters
A student-led journal driven by the latest research in public health disaster preparedness and management.
In this case study, Ruijun Lei discusses the events of and response to the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. In describing the management of the event, Lei highlights the resilience of local communities and the effective grassroots disaster relief efforts initiated in Alaska following the Earthquake.
Continue reading “Ruijun Lei’s Case Study on the Great Alaska Earthquake”
Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), or mass hysteria, describes the phenomenon where a large group of people develop certain irrational thoughts, behaviors, or health conditions collectively. Silvia Penate’s Case Study presents the 2012 mass psychogenic illness of breast cancer in Ethiopia, where 120 women developed symptoms of breast cancer following the death of a woman from breast cancer in her 40s.
Continue reading “Silvia Penate’s Case Study on the 2012 Mass Psychogenic Illness of Breast Cancer in Ethiopia”
In this case study, Wanda Dikiy analyzes the 2001 anthrax event in the United States. After presenting the facts of the case, Dikiy discusses certain validity issues in previous epidemiological studies related to this event. Additionally, Dikiy points out that coordinated emergency management was difficult, as many hospitals lacked an emergency response plan, and legislative efforts in bridging the gap in interstate public health management had just begun around this time.
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In this case study, Rowhani analyzes the deadly blizzard in Buffalo, New York in December 2022. The blizzard lasted for 37 hours, causing power outages for over 20,000 homes and facilities across the region. Fatality demographics shows that the disaster disproportionately impacted vulnerable communities.
Continue reading “Nehal Rowhani’s Case Study on the 2022 Buffalo Blizzard”Ilse Nicole Heredia’s case study provides an overview of the 2019 U.S. polar vortex. Extreme cold temperatures led to infrastructural and supply chain damages, causing many deaths and injuries in cities across the Midwest. During the disaster, one significant gap in preparedness was a lack of shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. To address this inadequacy, cities adapted hotels, churches, schools, and government buildings into temporary shelters.
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Daneau’s case study provides an overview of the extreme heat waves in Phoenix, Arizona between 2012 and 2022. During this period, more than 3,200 individuals died from heat-related complications.
Continue reading “Nancy Daneau’s Case Study on Extreme Heat Wave in Phoenix, AZ”
In this brief, Wanda Dikiy defines disasters in the following two categories: acute, or slow-onset. Dikiy then argues that disruption to essential services is the most important indicator of a disaster’s impact, since it exposes the community to risks normally addressed by the local medical system and produces additional negative effects that may lead to long-term complications.
Continue reading “Wanda Dikiy’s Key Definitions of Disasters”
Kaira Lapurga outlines categories of disasters and best indicators for disasters’ public health impacts in this brief. In particular, Lapurga describes how snowballing of a disaster’s negative effects could happen in the event of complex disasters. Finally, Lapurga highlights the important role of monitoring in disaster prevention and timely disaster response.
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Patel presents demographic and economic trends in disaster and disaster fatalities from recent decades. The discussion focuses on natural and complex disasters from extreme weather events, as well as man-made disasters such as acts of terrorism.
Continue reading “Smeet Patel’s Discussion of Trends in Disasters and Disaster Fatalities”
In this article published in Your Local Epidemiologist, Katelyn Jetelina and Dr. Kristen Panthagani provide an evidence-based critique of a recent remark made by the Florida Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who labeled the newest COVID-19 vaccine “anti-human” and said that he is “very uncomfortable recommending the new Covid-19 vaccine to anyone.”
Continue reading “Your Local Epidemiologist: A Response to Florida Surgeon General’s Anti-human Remarks”