Category: Spring 2022

On December 26, 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 originated in the Indian Ocean and caused a tsunami with waves reaching speeds of 500 mph, impacting 14 countries surrounding the Indian Ocean.  The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, resulting in the greatest death tolls at 108,100 with 127,700 people missing or presumed dead, and 426,800 displaced.  It was one of the deadliest disasters in modern-day history.  The destruction of the tsunami spanned multiple countries with recorded casualties occurring several hours later in southern Thailand, Sri Lanka, Chennai (India), and the east coast of Africa.  

In the case study, Sandhya Shankar reported the epidemiological details of the disaster found in the literature,  it was found that sex, age, and socioeconomic status were significant confounding variables in terms of mortality rates according to a study by Frankenberg et al.  The study noted that men and prime-age fishermen had lower mortality rates compared to their counterparts.

In terms of short-term management, Shankar points out that humanitarian donors were effective in raising a total of $13.6 billion dollars to fund the largest coordinated relief operation. However, negotiations determining recovery plans were unsuccessful and reconstruction of the infrastructure and health systems was not achieved, further impacting vulnerable communities with high levels of poverty.  

Overall, Shankar summarized that this event will become a valuable reference event for many organizations responding to a large-scale disaster in the future.

Read Sandhya Shankar’s case study here

Candida auris is a deadly fungus that can lead to death among infected patients, and it is highly resistant to drug treatments and is acquired mainly in hospitals and nursing homes.  In August 2016, the first case of the current ongoing outbreak was found in New York City, leading to 1,025 cases identified in New York State and deaths in 30-60% of the susceptible immunocompromised population.  In this case study, Caroline Romano investigates the epidemiological facts about this outbreak and reports that there is little information about the impact of C. auris on healthcare but journalists have identified that policies are poorly enforced, and lack of screening and irresponsible use of antifungals are contributing to the multi-drug resistance characteristic of the infectious agent. 

In managing the outbreak by the New York State, Caroline Romano points out that it has been ineffective since guidelines for handling or reporting infectious are not enforced and proper precautionary measures are yet to be mandated. Three years after its emergence, New York State labeled C. auris as a public health threat but did not make the screening, management, and reporting of the infection mandatory.  The lack of translational guidance from the state created gaps in communication and implementation in hospitals and public health departments alike. 

Read Caroline Romano’s case study here

In early April 2010, an explosion in a mine in Montreal, West Virginia killed over 90% of the workers that day and only 2 survived making it the most fatal explosion incident since 1970. The source of the ignition is still unknown but the high flammable methane levels were likely to have been a major contributor to the disaster. Initially, 25 out of the 29 men that were killed were discovered immediately and their deaths were attributed to the explosion or inhalation of toxic gases that resulted. Four more individuals, who were presumed missing, were later identified in the blast debris. The underlying problems with occupational health and safety protocols and processes and the response of the mine management company led to heavy criticism by the families of the deceased and public officials. 

 

Download the case study here. 

Callie presents the case by describing the human and economic impact of the deadliest tornado event in Kentucky’s history. Although the devastation from the “violent” level tornadoes spanned multiple states, Kentucky had the highest number of human casualties. Allowing this event to be labeled as a federal disaster by President Biden and facilitating the rapid mobilization of resources, aid, and assistance. Even though early warning systems were activated, Callie makes an interesting point that they may be less effective during the hours that people are usually sleeping, thus hindering response to the alerts. The slow civilian response may have played a role in this disaster as well as the vulnerability of the populations that live in the southern U.S. states. 

Download Callie’s case study here. 

Sabaa assesses the risks of drought and flooding in the country of Jordan, which could potentially be further complicated by power outages. Civil unrest and terrorism are the human-caused threats included in this assessment; inspiring Sabaa to use this table to explore the connections of some of these issues with the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, unsafe roads have claimed the lives of many people, making it a top risk to address. 

Download the THIRA table here. 

Nancy created a THIRA table of the world’s most at-risk island nation of Vanuatu, she assessed the threats of cyclones. earthquakes, volcanoes, and poor infrastructure on the vulnerability of the Ni-Vanuatu people. Issues of corruption and ineffective governance have led to poor investment in the development of essential services.

Download the THIRA here.