NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters
A student-led journal driven by the latest research in public health disaster preparedness and management.
With the mpox outbreak continuing to affect the lives of millions living in African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has activated its new Global Health Emergency Corp, or GHEC, for the first time to offer support to local healthcare and emergency services with the goal of containing and stemming the spread of the disease.
Continue reading “WHO Activates the Global Health Emergency Corp to Respond to Africa’s Mpox Outbreak”
This Qualtrics report aims to assess public attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions related to COVID-19. Using a cross-sectional survey method, this team analyzed COVID-19 vaccination status, infection history, compliance with public health measures, risk perception, and trust in information sources to understand willingness to follow public health mandates and perceived levels of concern for future pandemics.
Continue reading “Olivia Morris, Neha Shyamkul, and Luis Gomez-Escobar’s Qualtrics Report on COVID-19 and Community Adherence “
In September 2024, 193 delegations gathered during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to withstand the effects of treatments, such as antibiotics. This makes common infections more difficult to treat, potentially reversing decades of medical advancements. The UN emphasized that without immediate action, AMR could cause millions of additional deaths each year, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. The high-level meeting on AMR called for coordinated global efforts to reduce the projected 10 million annual deaths by 2050 due to drug-resistant infections.
Continue reading “The Growing Global Threat of Antibiotic Resistance”
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 the wake of major outbreaks involving diseases such as Dengue, Ebola, and COVID-19, researchers have pointed to the planet’s role in the rise of pandemics. With the threats of climate change more apparent than ever, the relationship has been made abundantly clear.
Continue reading “Pandemics Coincide with Climate’s Instability, Research Shows “
A recent study published in the Journal of Emergency Management and Disaster Communication studied the impact of access to information regarding emergency behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined disease knowledge, dynamic news, government measures, and media in the context of how guidelines and information were communicated to the general public. The researchers analyzed preventative behaviors and their correlation with perceived risk among the general public, highlighting the profound effects media, misinformation, and public perception have on adhering to guidelines. The study notes that past research excluded the effects of information access during large-scale health crises, instead focusing on common infectious diseases.
Continue reading “Study Highlights Access to Information and the Impact on Behaviors During COVID-19”
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”
Data recently released by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that more than 4,000 people died from cholera in 2023, representing a 71% increase in reported deaths compared to the prior year. Reported cholera cases rose by 13% during that period, according to the WHO’s global cholera statistics.
Continue reading “New WHO Data Shows Surging Global Cholera Deaths”
The Syrian refugee crisis has lasted over a decade, forcing the displacement of over 7 million people. In 2011, teenagers were arrested for anti-government graffiti, which led to public demonstrations that grew into a civil war. The refugee crisis that followed has forced millions to flee, killed thousands of children, and has left 70% of the Syrian population in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
Continue reading “Manasi Narayan’s Case Study on the Syrian Refugee Crisis”