2. Health Aspects in Disaster Contexts

First of all, what are the root causes of these you know the factors that are associated with this health especially in a disaster context. One is the direct and indirect risks because what we know is certain risk but certain in the health aspect, we may encounter some unknown risks you know, it might be an indirect risk like for instance there is uncertainty of known and unknown risks. A new diseases will be born, imagine there is a flood-affected area in Kashmir, what happened was during the floods, people were migrated, and they have taken a lot of measures in the relief operations but after two, three weeks when the whole water get drained up, then the new set of diseases came when because of the epidemic and endemic diseases spread out when the water drained up.

In disaster contexts, health risks can arise from both known and unknown factors. Known risks include common diseases or injuries that occur during disasters, while unknown risks might involve new diseases that emerge after a disaster event. For instance, after a flood, standing water can lead to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera. Understanding these risks is essential for effective disaster response and recovery.

Consider a doctor who prepares for a flu season by stocking vaccines. However, an unforeseen new virus emerges during the same season, making the vaccines ineffective. This situation parallels disaster scenarios where, despite preparation for known risks, new health threats may arise unexpectedly.

There is a disciplinary orientation gaps in undertaking risk in understanding risks related to health and DRR. So, there is pharmaceutical understanding is different, there is a health understanding, there is a biological understanding is different. So, different disciplines do not correlate with each other that is one important aspect of how they actually orient themselves in understanding the risk and how they do not collaborate with each other.

Different fields of study, such as pharmaceuticals, public health, and biology, often have distinct ways of understanding health risks. This separation can lead to communication barriers and gaps in knowledge sharing, which hinders a comprehensive approach to managing health risks during disasters. It is crucial for professionals from different disciplines to collaborate to improve risk understanding and management.

Imagine a team of doctors, chemists, and biologists working separately on a health crisis. Doctors may prescribe treatments based on symptoms, chemists might be focused on drug production, and biologists study disease patterns. Without collaboration, they might miss out on important insights that could improve patient care and prevent future outbreaks.

Even here, we notice that there is an unequal resource allocation and access to medical infrastructure, especially the marginalized communities or mostly prone areas are the poor rural communities or the poverty communities. How these people have an unequal resource allocation, you know they might be having a less medical infrastructure compared to you know they have a less infrastructure, medical facilities or the professional expertise compared to the people who are living in urban areas.

Marginalized and rural communities often face significant disparities in access to health resources compared to urban areas. These inequalities can affect the availability of medical infrastructure, such as clinics and hospitals, as well as the presence of skilled healthcare professionals. Such disparities can exacerbate health risks during and after disasters, as these populations are often the most vulnerable.

Think of two neighborhoods: one in a city with multiple hospitals and healthcare providers, and another in a rural area with limited access to a single clinic. In a disaster, the city neighborhood can receive immediate medical attention, while the rural neighborhood may struggle to get help, showcasing the inequalities inherent in healthcare access.

The time dimension of health in DRR, so it is not only the predisaster, during disaster the hell dimension can abruptly change even after 3 weeks, some unknown risks, some direct risks.

Health risks change over time in the context of disaster risk reduction (DRR). Before a disaster, during the event, and even weeks after, risks can manifest in different ways. New health threats may emerge long after the disaster has occurred, illustrating the importance of continuous monitoring and response strategies beyond the immediate aftermath.

Think about a storm that causes flooding. Initially, people might focus on immediate injuries and diseases like hypothermia. However, weeks later, they might face new health issues like waterborne diseases as the floodwaters recede, demonstrating that health risks evolve over time.

And one need to look from the community perspective, look from the market perspective, and this is how we can go ahead with it.

To effectively manage health in disaster contexts, it is crucial to consider both community and market perspectives. Communities must be engaged to ensure that health responses are tailored to their needs. Simultaneously, market dynamics can affect the availability and affordability of health resources, influencing individuals' access to critical care.

Imagine a community that prioritizes traditional remedies while a pharmaceutical market focuses on selling high-cost treatments. Effective disaster response should integrate community preferences and market realities, ensuring that health solutions are both culturally accepted and economically accessible.

The third aspect is accountable when you say accountable whether we are making sure that you know this quality and legal frameworks are making sure that it is reaching to the common man, you know how the allocations are being accountable, affordable.

Accountability in health resources during disasters means ensuring that available health services are not just accessible but also of high quality and affordable for everyone, especially marginalized groups. Legal and quality frameworks should be in place to guarantee that the needs of the most vulnerable populations are met during health crises.

Consider a public health initiative that claims to provide free vaccinations. Accountability means regularly checking if the vaccines are indeed being distributed fairly and if the quality is high, ensuring that all communities, especially those in need, can receive the same benefits.

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