Effects of Disasters

1. Strategies for Helping Women in Poor Communities; Resources for Coping after Natural Disasters Antor Ndep Ola, MPH, CHES, Camille Edwards, MPH (Candidate) Meshawn Tarver, MPH, Gail Rome, Danielle Broussard, PhD and Jeanette H. Magnus, MD, PhD Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Infrastructure BreakdownPublic health/Medical/hospital systemsAddress changePersonnel changeReduced capacity Breakdown in communicationDisconnected phone lines/fax/emailsDisruption of postal servicesPower outageenvironmental pollutionLow water pressure 2005 Hurricanes in Louisiana The Role of Women in Louisiana’s Recovery Available Resources in Post Katrina New Orleans Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005 as a category 4 storm • Storm surge and levy breaches flooded 80% of the City of New Orleans • 2.5 million people affected • More than 288,000 people left homeless • Over 1300 dead in New Orleans alone • Most costly storm to date, in US history: 34.4 Billion total; 22 Billion in LA alone • Rita made landfall on September 25, 2005 as a category 3 storm • Storm surge flooded most of South-West LA • Total cost estimated at 4.7 Billion; 2.4 Billion in LA alone • 460,000 people affected • More than 76,000 left homeless Stress and Associated Disorders Resource Deprivation • Women are the primary care givers • The glue of society • Women’s health is usually a marker for a state’s economic development • Women’s mental health is critical for their own recovery, and that of their families and their community • Families helping families of Louisiana; www.fhfla.org • Individual websites e.g. Craig's list • Catholic Charities of New Orleans • Common Ground • Covenant House • Hispanic Apostolate • FEMA Disaster Relief Centers • Neighborhood organizing such as the Broadmoor Civic Association, • Central City Development • New Orleans East Alive Festival • Local media: radio, television, newspaper websites such as wwltv.com , www.nola.com, www.lifesongs.com • Community websites such as http://cleanno.org • Katrina Krewe • Chris Rose’s column on www.nola.com • People who are affected by natural disaster can develop psychological disorders such as depression, chronic anxiety, and Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) • Post disaster, it is expected that the affected population will have • 54% depression • 5-9% clinical PTSD • 100% some degree of trauma symptoms IndividualLevel • Economic Insecurity • Loss of Work/ Income Providers • Loss of Homestead/ Vehicle/ • Loss of Material Possessions • Disruption of Social Ties • Death and/or Injury • Dislocation of Family and Friends Because of their… • Coping capacity • Resiliency • Grassroots Leadership abilities • Networking abilities • Ability to reconnect with others • Ability to build support systems Community Level • Full Gospel International and associated churches • Mary Queen of Vietnam Church and associated neighborhood businesses • Upper Room Bible Church and associated churches • Community information fairs • Public and Charter School Systems in New Orleans and surrounding areas • Women of the Storm • St. Anna’s Mobile Health Clinic • Musician Village • Tulane Multidisciplinary Healthcare Centers • Tulane Xavier National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health • Mary Amelia Douglas Whited Community Women Health Education Center • Area universities and colleges such as Tulane, Xavier, Dillard, LSU, Loyola, Delgado, SUNO and UNO Effects of Disasters • Pre hurricanes, Louisiana was deemed the worst state in US for women to live because women are vulnerable with • Reproductive Health Issues • Differential Effect of Natural Disasters • Literacy, Access, and • Ability to Navigate socio-political systems Valuable Lessons Learned • References: • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). (2005) Surviving Field Stress for First Responders. (DHHS publication draft). Washington, D.C • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.-text revision). Washington, DC. • World Health Organization (WHO). (2006). Gender and women’s mental health. http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en. • Cutter SL. The Geography of Social Vulnerability: Race, Class, and Catastrophe. Understanding Katrina, Perspectives from the Social Sciences, 2005. http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/cutter 17th Street Canal Breach In order to succeed in a post-disaster environment, agencies must have the following qualities: • Willingness to think and act “outside the box” • Ability to engage community members in planning and developing strategies for provision of healthcare • Willingness to take road trips just to get a working phone number, to schedule a meeting or to get an address • Ability to make use of existing partnerships and creating new networks through community meetings, academic collaborations and personal contacts