The role of biomedical engineering in disaster management in resource-limited settings

Fernandes, Andrea; Zaman, Muhammad H.

doi:10.2471/blt.12.104901

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…9 In Bangladesh, fl oods and cyclones each pose distinct threats to health that need separate consideration. Cyclones, also known as hurricanes or typhoons in diff erent regions of the world, are characterised by sustained, strong winds of more than 63 km/h and the storm surges they create.…”

Section: Floods and Cyclones In Bangladeshmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bangladesh has focused on breaking this cycle by integration of disaster recovery and resilience in its overall strategy of poverty reduction. 9 Present eff orts to acknowledge changing social and economic demographics, including specifi c consideration to urban contexts and increasing availability of technology (such as mobile phones), show the ongoing learning and experimentation at the core of Bangladesh's approach. These insights inform a frame work that can be applied globally for improved disaster management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 However, the death rate from fl oods and cyclones has substantially fallen (table 1). 9 Through both planned and unplanned interventions, Bangladesh has evolved eff ective strategies to mitigate the damage of natural disasters on human health and development. This success can be linked to several key insights that guide disaster management eff orts: (1) identifi cation of and focus on the greatest drivers of mortality; (2) use of each experience in disaster management to inform and improve strategies for future events; (3) designing of interventions that draw on existing social capital and selfsuffi ciency of the community; and (4) viewing of poverty as a key source of vulnerability in disasters, and support of ongoing poverty reduction and development eff orts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh

Cash

Halder²,

Husain

et al. 2013

The Lancet

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Bangladesh, with a population of 151 million people, is a country that is particularly prone to natural disasters: 26% of the population are aff ected by cyclones and 70% live in fl ood-prone regions. Mortality and morbidity from these events have fallen substantially in the past 50 years, partly because of improvements in disaster management. Thousands of cyclone shelters have been built and government and civil society have mobilised strategies to provide early warning and respond quickly. Increasingly, fl ood and cyclone interventions have leveraged community resilience, and general activities for poverty reduction have integrated disaster management. Furthermore, overall population health has improved greatly on the basis of successful public health activities, which has helped to mitigate the eff ect of natural disasters. Challenges to the maintenance and reduction of the eff ect of cyclones and fl oods include rapid urbanisation and the growing eff ect of global warming. Although the eff ects of earthquakes are unknown, some eff orts to prepare for this type of event are underway.

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Section: Floods and Cyclones In Bangladeshmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh

Cash

Halder²,

Husain

et al. 2013

The Lancet

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“…This team should include technically sound biomedical engineers or technicians who can not only salvage critical equipment but also take ownership of repairing them if they get damaged during floods. 8…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safety of Electro-Medical Equipment in Floods in Austere Environment

Khan

Bhatti

Akhtar

2018

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Pakistan is prone to floods. In 2010, floods in North-Western Pakistan caused devastation in wide areas. Electro-medical equipment is very expensive and without proper equipment adequate surgery is not possible. We retrospectively analyzed how expensive electro-medical equipment got damaged during floods of 2010 at a district-level hospital in North-Western Pakistan and how we could have saved this equipment or reduced the damage to the minimum. The article provides the lessons learned and recommendations aimed to prevent or minimize damage to the valuable and expensive equipment in the areas prone to floods. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;page 1 of 3).

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“…Shelter also fosters privacy, dignity, and the personal safety of individuals and thereby community resilience. 1 Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, and left a trail of destruction. It was the deadliest typhoon on record in the Philippines and resulted in the death of over 6000 people and the displacement of about 4 million inhabitants.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“Providing a Roof” and More to Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines: the Médecins Sans Frontières Experience

Ali

Ferir

Reid

et al. 2016

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Objectives: Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November 2013 and left a trail of destruction. As part of its emergency response, Médecins Sans Frontières distributed materials for reconstructing houses and boats as standardized kits to be shared between households. Community engagement was sought and communities were empowered in deciding how to make the distributions. We aimed to answer, Was this effective and what lessons were learned? Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted in May 2014 and included all community leaders and 269 households in 22 barangays (community administrative areas). Results: All houses were affected by the typhoon, of which 182 (68%) were totally damaged. All households reported having received and used the housing material. However, in 238 (88%) house repair was incomplete because the materials provided were insufficient or inappropriate for the required repairs. Conclusion: This experience of emergency mass distribution of reconstruction or repair materials of houses and boats led by the local community was encouraging. The use of "standardized kits" resulted in equity issues, because households were subjected to variable degrees of damage. A possible way out is to follow up the emergency distribution with a needs assessment and a tailored distribution.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 5)

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The role of biomedical engineering in disaster management in resource-limited settings

Cited by 10 publications

References 8 publications

Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh

Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh

Safety of Electro-Medical Equipment in Floods in Austere Environment

“Providing a Roof” and More to Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines: the Médecins Sans Frontières Experience

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