The year 2005 was a watershed for disaster management worldwide and also in Cuba. Representatives of every continent met in Japan, hammering out the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015), an international blueprint for risk reduction strategies and a guide for developing national platforms. In Cuba, a spate of devastating hurricanes the year before led to a reassessment of how the country was ...

This paper describes the process of developing a national pre-disaster plan for physical health and psychological rehabilitation of disaster-stricken communities. Data gathered from a literature review and expert panel discussions informed the process of drawing up unified definitions of physical and psychological health rehabilitation, carrying out stakeholder and STEEP-V analyses, and assigni...

OBJECTIVES We studied the experience of Hurricane Katrina evacuees to better understand factors influencing evacuation decisions in impoverished, mainly minority communities that were most severely affected by the disaster. METHODS We performed qualitative interviews with 58 randomly selected evacuees living in Houston's major evacuation centers from September 9 to 12, 2005. Transcripts were ...

This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States' alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the "Dirty Dozen"--12 major fail...

Applying lessons learned in Hurricane Floyd in 1999, a three-hospital system located on Florida's exposed Space Coast was able to better deal with the devastation caused by hurricanes in 2004 and make changes in its plans to better prepare for the named storms which hit its area in 2008. Each new disaster, the author points out, brings with it new challenges which have to be considered in disas...

JAVMA, Vol 231, No. 3, August 1, 2007 T unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita presented a uniquely challenging situation for animals and their owners in southern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region during the fall of 2005. Animal issues and concerns that arose during the disaster response and recovery were addressed through the National Response Plan and th...

This article describes and analyzes key aspects of the medical response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It is based on interviews with individuals involved in the response and on analysis of published reports and news articles. Findings include: (1) federal, state, and local disaster plans did not include provisions for keeping hospitals functioning during a large-scale emergency; (2) the ...

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of humanitarian aid from the perspectives of local stakeholders in Sri Lanka following the tsunami disaster of December 2004. STUDY DESIGN Qualitative study using key informant and focus group interviews. METHODS Key informant and focus group interviews were conducted with tsunami survivors, community leaders, the local authorities and aid workers sampled pur...

As a nation, America is faced with the ongoing threat of terrorist activity from individuals and groups throughout the world and at home. In response to this reality, it is critical that steps be taken in the workplace to prevent acts of terrorism where possible, and be prepared to minimize adverse effects of terrorism that cannot be prevented. It is essential that traditional emergency prepare...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Hospital preparedness is an essential component of any developed health care system. However, there is no national legislation in Switzerland. The objective of this inquiry was to establish the geographic distribution, availability and characteristics of hospital preparedness across Switzerland. METHODS A questionnaire regarding hospital preparedness in 2006 was addressed to a...