NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters
A student-led journal driven by the latest research in public health disaster preparedness and management.
The concept of health system resilience is one that evokes images of communities and healthcare infrastructures and systems weathering a devastating event and working together to rebuild and emerge stronger. This idea is beginning to gain attention, as the subject of empirical studies more recently but has mostly been explored only conceptually in the past.
Continue reading “Improving Consistency in Health System Resilience Research”
Some observers are beginning to consider the novel’s ability to transport readers through space and time as a possible tool for disaster mitigation, especially by opening a window into the personal effects of public health disasters.
Continue reading “Novels As Possible Tools for Disaster Communication”
Due to climate change, billion-dollar disasters are becoming increasingly common. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), from 2011 to 2016, a total of 42 disasters caused at least one billion U.S. dollars (USD) in damage. In reviewing these events, researchers found a knowledge gap regarding the impact experienced by elderly Americans, specifically those receiving Medicare.
Continue reading “Measuring Healthcare Utilization and Mortality Rates After Weather Disasters”Seeing the long-term effects of climate change was difficult for individuals living in the 18th and 19th centuries, during the dawn of the first industrial revolution. However, those of us living in the 21st century have first-hand experience with the numerous and devastating effects of the centuries of carbon emissions and pollution from industrial developments. Lori Youmshajekian, Master’s student at NYU studying science, health and environmental reporting, worked with Frederica Fragapane, an independent information designer with projects in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, to visualize climate disasters’ cascading effects.
Continue reading “A Beautiful Visualization of Climate Change’s Disastrous Effects”
In this study, a team of researchers are assessing whether booklets should be more widely considered in informing the public on disaster preparedness and response, especially their appropriateness in addressing the mental health toll of the recent Turkey-Syria earthquake. The team gathered data on the use of booklets, and found that they have been used in disaster response in several countries, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the United States, and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Continue reading “An Analysis of Information Booklets’ Effectiveness in Post-Disaster Situations”
The flood-prone region of Vale do Taquari, Brazil experienced an exceptional El Nino event towards the end of 2023, leading to 52 deaths and impacting the lives of the 400,000 people of the region. Given Vale do Taquari’s already heightened suicide rate, it is crucial to address the mental health effects of this and other climate-related disasters.
Continue reading “Mental Health Services Lacking in a Flooded Vale do Taquari, Brazil”
“The Third Pole” is a geographical region of mountainous terrain encompassing the Tibetan Plateau, Hindu Kush and Tianshan mountains, and the Himalayas. It is a picturesque region of the planet where, unfortunately, an often ignored danger lurks: Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
Continue reading “Glacial Lake Outburst Floods Pose A Major Threat to the Earth’s “Third Pole””
The United Nations Climate Change Conference of 2023, also called COP28, was set up to be a historic acknowledgment of the dangers of climate change by most countries around the globe. Health would finally be at the forefront of discussions, a welcome emphasis after 30 years of discord. This conference proved to have some obvious benefits but also had several failings, particularly related to demanding swift actions against the devastating effects of a hotter planet.
Continue reading “Health Was Finally At The Center of COP28, But More Drastic Action Is Needed”
As COVID-19 began to spread from its epicenter in Wuhan, the Chinese authorities adopted a series of strict lockdown measures that were criticized all over the world as authoritarian. However, when Italy became the second country hit hard by the pandemic, they unexpectedly took a page out of China’s playbook when deciding what policy to put in place to mitigate further disaster impact. This decision revealed two routes policy makers may choose to take when dealing with a pandemic: embracing lockdowns, or foregoing them to avoid the repercussions that inevitably accompany these restrictive measures.
Continue reading “COVID-19 Lockdowns May Have Done More Harm Than Good”