Responses to the health

risk from flooding

Chapter No. 3

Objectives
After the completion of this chapter you will be able
to define:
1. Short Introduction of the chapter.
2. Organization of the chapter.
3. Action in the home and the community
4. Health Education
5. Disease surveillance and control
6. Health Care Services.
7. Protecting Health Services.
8. Water and sanitation: Protection and provision
9. Conclusion: Enhancing Coping Capacity.

INTRODUCTION
The health outcomes of flood can seen as the
result of a series of events whereby a flood
generates a flood hazard that brings physical
risk effects, leading to mortality and morbidity.
The purpose here is to provide an overview of
specifically health related coping mechanisms
and strategies both private actions and
external intervention that reduce vulnerability
to health impacts and strengthen coping
capacity in the face of heath risks.

INTRODUCTION
Organization of the Chapter
The chapter describes on a major review of processes and policies of
adaptation to health risks from floods reported (in Few at al 2004).
It brings together material from a wide range of studies and reports to
discuss the scope and characteristics of societal responses to the health
impacts of flooding. These responses are grouped under six main
categories starting with:
1. Health protection undertaken by vulnerable populations themselves.
2. Moving through aspects of health education and public safety.
3. Disease surveillance and control.
4. Health care provision.
5. Protection with health infrastructure.
6. The protection and provision of water and sanitation systems.

Action in the home and the

community
Health related coping mechanisms at the
grassroots provide the front line of defence for
people who are at risk from floods.
As per recent report, the aid organization
tearfund stressed that, the ability of local people
to resist the impact of disasters should not be
underestimated. In fact local coping mechanisms
must
form
the
basis
of
international
development support. (Tearfund, 2004).
More detail is on page no. 56

Household Action
Household coping strategies against floods has seldom
concentrated on health protections.
Few coping action relating explicitly to health have been
discussed in the literature surveyed, the material that does
exist suggests that this may reflect a lack of reporting
(Parkinson, 2012).
Reporting from Vietname, Few et al (2004).
In low-income countries, where flooding often poses severe
threats to water supplies, evidence suggests that people
make major efforts to obtain clean drinking water,
psychological coping mechanisms in respect to mental
health, active coping efforts directed at clean-up and
recovery were associated with lower levels of psychological
distress.

Community actions
There is little material analyzing common activity in health
risk reduction in relation to flooding. A survey of the
material that does exist suggests that several types of
response at the community level ma be of key
importance in influencing public health.
One crucial area in terms of public safety is warning and
evacuation for which community based activities may
provide the key to survival, some such mechanisms are
traditional, such as the practice reported from northern
Pakistan of tying ropes with bells attached across rivers
upstream from when fishermen work to provide lastminute warning of flash floods.
More detail is on page no. 58

Health Education
Public Safety, and hygiene education,
specific to flood situations is very
important. The relevant stakeholders
should advise to aware the public
directly on practices that reduce
health risk. Education efforts may be
provided as part of preparedness
efforts in flood prone environments
or deployed as part of emergency
response activities during and in the

Household health and hygiene during

disaster:
Theme

Consideration

Water safety

Sources of water Collection and

storage Use of water

Excreta disposal

Hygienic places for defecation

Childrens sanitation

Waste disposal

Solid waste liquid waste

Vector control

Removal of Breeding sites

Personal protection

Personal hygiene

Water for washing

Washing of hands

Shelter

Continued use of the home

Return from shelter

Food Safety

Food Handling and preparation

feeding babies

Disease Surveillance and

control
Analysis of data on communicable
diseases, it is important for:
Efficient resource allocation.
Planning of preventive strategies
Public Health interventions.
Identification of special needs.

Disease Surveillance and

control
Two dimension of disease are crucial in relation
to response and adaptation to flooding.
1. An ongoing public health surveillance
system provides the baseline data against
which changes in disease incidence can be
detected after an extreme event such as a
flood.
2. A specific disaster-related surveillance
programme covering infectious diseases,
injuries and vector.

Priority Measures
In developing countries, where the threat of
infectious disease poses more pressing
concerns after floods, the potential value of
surveillance and control system is heightened.
However need do not match capacities, it is
precisely in low income countries that both
routine
and
emergency
surveillance
mechanisms tend to be weakest.

 Health Care Services

Emergency Planning and Need
Assessment
Health Care Delivery
Mental Health Care
Protecting Health Infrastructure

 Damage Risk and Response

Water and Sanitation: Protection and
provision.
Flood Impact on water and Sanitation
Mitigation and Preparedness
Water supply and purification
Emergency provision: Sanitation
Conclusion: Enhancing coping capacity

Any
Question?