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 discussion post, Valionica Fayette offers an incisive view on the definition and public perception of terrorism by answering the following three questions:
Continue reading “Valionica Fayette’s Discussion on the Roots of Terrorism”
Restrictions to the federal government’s main emergency fund administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will go into effect after a year of disasters such as wildfires in Maui and flooding in Florida have drained spending abilities. The restrictions will place holds on federal aid currently helping multiple states rebuild from natural disasters.
Continue reading “FEMA Restricts Disaster Spending Due to Drained Funds”
Japan initiated the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, August 24. The decision quickly prompted China to ban all seafood products from Japan, their customs bureau stating for Reuters they are “highly concerned about the risk of radioactive contamination brought by… Japan’s food and agricultural products.”
Continue reading “Fukushima Wastewater Released into Pacific Ocean, Prompting Seafood Bans and Health Concerns”
A devastating wildfire swept across the Hawaiian island of Maui on August 8, destroying most of the historic city of Lahaina located on the northwest coast of the island. Leaving at least 97 dead, the wildfire is one of the nation’s deadliest disasters. The speed of the wildfire’s spread coupled with the lack of emergency communication led to a frantic evacuation with many resorting to jumping into the ocean where they remained for hours.
Continue reading “Questions on Disaster Response Leads to Resignation of Maui’s Emergency Management Chief Following Wildfires”
Due to California’s topography, climate, and vegetation the state provides a “world class” fire environment. By acreage, the largest seven fires in California history have all occurred in the past five years, five of which burned through the state between August and September 2020. To address wildfire response by The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH), the group developed a comprehensive Wildfire Outbreak Emergency Operations Plan.
Continue reading “Joanna Horvath, Victoria Sevilla, Hyacinth Burrowes, and Gangao Chen’s Wildfire Outbreak Emergency Operations Plan”
Driven by dry weather, high winds, and human activity, record-setting wildfires burned through California in 2020 igniting the largest wildfire season in modern history. Over 10,000 fires burned through 4.2 million acres of land damaging 2,000 structures and displacing thousands.
Continue reading “Nabila Salisu’s Presentation on the 2020 California Wildfires”
Heat waves are among the deadliest weather events, killing thousands of people annually. When the human body exceeds its ability to lose heat, it experiences critical health issues and will ultimately shut down. Severe heat waves are predicted to increase due to climate change, making preparedness and response to heat waves a major public health concern. The issue of excessive heat is a particular issue for California, which experiences a high number of record-breaking heat waves.
Continue reading “Maha Hashwi, Haoxuan (Avery) Jiang, Nowshin Mannan, and Keasler Witt’s Emergency Response Plan for Heat Waves in California”
Mass shootings in America have become a public health emergency due to their frequency and severity. In response, the group has created a disaster management plan that takes a public health approach to mass shootings. The plan is based on the case of the Cielo Vista Walmart shooting in El Paso, Texas, outlining procedures aiming to ensure “that the El Paso Health Department is part of a uniform and unified response to the tragedy of mass shooting events”.
Continue reading “Kristen Amick, Ali Husain, Tom O’Neill, and Faria Putal’s Active Shooter Plan for the El Paso Department of Public Health”
On February 6th, 2023, southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria were hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake with more than 2,100 aftershocks. The earthquake was estimated to have affected 14 million people and was the strongest earthquake recorded in Turkey since the Erzincan earthquake in 1939.
Continue reading “Xinyi Zhang, Hazal Kayalioglu, Jaclyn Perhati, and Jiawen Shou’s Emergency Response Plan for the Republic of Türkiye Earthquake”
Licensed in 1963, the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine brought down infection rates worldwide with the elimination of measles in the US officially announced in 2000. Due to inconsistent vaccination rates of children in recent years, an increase in cases has been reported. In 2020, MMR vaccinations decreased by 63% in children and 91% in children over two years old.
Continue reading “Heather Yu, Semhal Selamawi, and Hana Berhe’s Report on Measles Vaccination Campaigns Aiming to Decrease the Burden of Infectious Diseases and Future Pandemics”