NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters
A student-led journal driven by the latest research in public health disaster preparedness and management.
On August 3, 2019, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius entered a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, carrying an AR-47-style semi-automatic rifle. He killed 23 and injured 22 civilians in what is considered the deadliest attack on Hispanic people in modern U.S. history. Crusius has since pleaded guilty and is serving 90 consecutive life sentences.
Continue reading “Josephine Edery’s Case Study on the El Paso Walmart Shooting”
On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He killed 20 children and seven adults, including his mother, before taking his own life. The event sparked several debates on gun control, mental health, and initiatives to improve school safety.
Continue reading “Kelsee Katsanes’ Case Study on the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting”
In 1993, the Southwestern region of the Four Corners, where the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah meet, had nearly 30 cases of acute hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and 16 deaths from Sin Nombre Virus (SNV), caused by deer mice. As the region overlaps with the Navajo Nation, the Navajo people faced public shame for the rise in the disease, and were blamed for its consequences.
Continue reading “Samantha Whitegeese’s Case Study on 1993 Four Corners Hantavirus Outbreak”
In 1995, the New Jersey Department of Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began an investigation into the growing concerns about elevated rates of childhood cancer in the New Jersey region. The investigation was a response to resident concerns about water environmental pollution. The research focused on industrial sites in the area that were ultimately found responsible for significant contamination.
Continue reading “Ameisha O’Connor’s Case Study on Childhood Cancer in New Jersey”
On November 12, 1970, Cyclone Bholas struck East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. The disaster resulted in an estimated 500,000 deaths and caused tremendous impacts on Pakistan’s social systems, international governance, and territorial borders.
Continue reading “Catherine Reyes’ Case Study on Cyclone Bhola in East Pakistan”
Experts estimate that by 2100, extreme heat will make parts of Asia and Africa uninhabitable. Climate change will continue exacerbating the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, including droughts, flooding, scorching heat, and more, impacting vulnerable communities globally.
Continue reading “Jose Flores Hernandez’s Case Study on Extreme Heat”
In 2021 and 2022, Kenya faced multiple outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, including Dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to high rates of infectious disease transmission. The emergence and re-emergence of viral infections in Kenya emphasizes the need to build the capacity of the country’s healthcare system.
Continue reading “Luis Gomez-Escobar’s Case Study on Vector-Borne Disease in Kenya”
The World Health Organization declared a mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in the summer of 2024. Over 15,000 cases and 550 deaths were reported in the DRC alone, leading WHO to use the emergency declaration.
Continue reading “Felipe Garcia’s Case Study on Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo”
On May 6, 2023, 33-year-old far-right extremist Mauricio Martinez-Garcia opened fire outside of a mall in Allen, Texas. The shooting killed eight civilians and injured seven. After the event, gun control activists, including President Joe Biden, pushed for legislation that would enact an assault weapon ban and universal background checks, which ultimately died in the Texas Senate.
Continue reading “Aryeh Korman’s Case Study on Texas Mall Shooting”
In 1984, a methyl isocyanate leak from a local pesticide plant killed thousands of people in Bhopal, India, known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The event had significantly adverse impacts on vulnerable populations, leading to 15-20,000 premature deaths and reports of ocular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, psychological, and neurobehavioral effects.
Continue reading “Ishita Nair’s Case Study on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy”