Altitude illness: A risk factor for humanitarian aid workers that are deployed to high-altitude disaster scenarios

Abstract

Purpose

Altitude illness can be a severe to even life-threatening condition for individuals ascending to altitudes higher than 2,500 m without proper acclimatization, a process that requires at least a couple of days. Considering disaster scenarios in high-altitude settings where humanitarian aid workers need to be deployed immediately, altitude illness may pose a relevant risk factor. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Population data on people living in high-altitude risk areas worldwide were matched with data on natural hazards in these areas.

Findings

Globally, more than 140 million people live in the risk zone for altitude illness and at least 19 cities with a population of more than 100,000 people exist above 2,500 m. These cities are situated in countries that are highly vulnerable to various natural hazards, and most of these cities have already been affected by hazardous events in the past. The relevance of considering altitude illness is underlined by a report on the emergency operation after the 2010 earthquake in Yushu County, China, where at least 200 aid workers had to be withdrawn due to this condition.

Originality/value

There are possible disaster scenarios where altitude illness can become a serious issue for aid workers, however, the only available preventive measures are not feasible with proper acclimatization requiring a couple of days and chemoprophylaxis not being 100 percent efficient. Therefore, this work intends to raise awareness within the humanitarian community for and to proactively engage with the topic of altitude illness in order to ensure the security and well-being of staff.

Citation

Bayer, R.G. (2017), "Altitude illness: A risk factor for humanitarian aid workers that are deployed to high-altitude disaster scenarios", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 55-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-07-2016-0146