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Health effects of earthquakes

S.W.A. Gunn (President of The World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, and of the Mediterranean Club for Burns and Fire Disasters, and was formerly Head of Emergency Relief Operations of the World Health Organization. He is also an Editorial Adviser to this Journal.)

Disaster Prevention and Management

ISSN: 0965-3562

Article publication date: 1 December 1995

1457

Abstract

A major earthquake causes massive destruction, high mortality, many casualties and protracted health problems. The impact creates immediate medical needs at the epicentre, while secondary health‐related problems are likely to arise in the areas to which the stricken population has moved for safety, or even afar in time and space, should the country′s socio‐economic destabilization cause further deterioration of the health conditions. Epidemiological studies have shed light on the disease patterns following disasters, including earthquakes, and preparedness measures are possible. Discusses hospitals, injury, patient transport, logistics, communications, and disease and treatment problems arising from recent earthquakes, including Kobe.

Keywords

Citation

Gunn, S.W.A. (1995), "Health effects of earthquakes", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 4 No. 5, pp. 6-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/09653569510100956

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1995, MCB UP Limited

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