Day 7 of Week 5: Describe Disaster Planning in Health

Disaster Planning in Health
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The indiscriminate nature of disasters leaves an inequitable burden to the victims. The most affected group which bears the bigger burden are those in the rural especially; who are medically underserved and poor. Due to the lack or the inadequacy of health infrastructure, the rural are affected disproportionately when disaster strikes (Davis & Wilson et al., 2011). It is also notable that whenever a disaster strikes, the normal running of the health system is discontinued. Within the affected population, the disaster can exacerbate disparities that are in existent or electrify the new ones.
War as a manmade disaster has got a great impact on public health. War as much as people fail to identify with it, leads to mental illnesses. The mental illness is catalyzed by head injuries or the trauma due to prolonged exposure and if not well managed. Exposure to environmental health-related hazards adversely affects health (Levy, 2003). War leads to the pollution of the environment. Agents of infectious diseases, radiations, pesticides among others are left bare during the war, and people find it hard escaping from them. These toxic exposures lead to illnesses to both civilians and soldiers. The ecosystem is also destroyed.
The result of war is refugees. The outpour of refugees of all kinds can be disastrous. All manner of health problems is carried along by the refugees (Levy, 2003). The problems include malnutrition, contagious infections, abuse, mental health disorders and poor outcome of births just to name a few. These conditions are carried to areas where they are not, or if they are there, they are to a lesser degree.
The societal infrastructure that supports the health of the people is viciously destroyed. This is more disastrous in that the medical practitioners, despite them being willing to help, become stranded. This is due to the destruction of the facilities that could help recover the injured. There is a huge sum of money that is used to compact the disaster which degrades the economics of the nation (Levy, 2003).
Some of the direct impacts of war are deaths and disabilities. Food shortage is also a direct impact which leads to malnutrition and increases deaths. The destruction of water systems leads to the supply of unsafe water which accelerates the rates of contagious infections. This menace as well arises from the supply of unsafe food. To survive in war, people eat what is available, whether safe or unsafe (Levy, 2003). The health systems thus have a task to compact all these.
There are a number of health concerns arising from the impact that war cause on public health. A well-strategized disaster planning thus has to be put in place to manage these concerns (Furin, 2016). The concerns ...