Showing papers on "Sanitation published in 2024"

Displaced Populations

Abstract: This chapter provides insight into the problem of displacement of populations during complex emergencies, be it human-made or natural disasters. It articulates main vulnerabilities of displaced populations and their eligibility for protection and humanitarian assistance. The second part of the chapter makes an introduction to tools and standards for assessment of humanitarian needs in health care, such as protection, nutrition, and water and sanitation.

Landslides

Abstract: Landslides are sudden-onset mass movements because of gravity, often triggered by precipitation or seismic or volcanic activity. They cause thousands of deaths worldwide each year and roughly $2 billion (U.S.) in economic losses each year in the United States alone. Landslides often cause traumatic injuries to the population, with the majority of fatalities coming from trauma or asphyxiation. The management of landslides should primarily involve prevention and mitigation, including geologic surveys, engineering, land use management, and avoidance of high-risk areas. Monitoring and early warning systems are also of high importance. Responders should be properly equipped and manage the scene based on a careful assessment of the safety of the area. Medical care of casualties should be centered on management of traumatic and crush injuries and exposures, including hypothermia. Postevent response should include careful evaluation of the public health situation because landslides can leave large populations homeless and in need of food, water, shelter, sanitation, security, and mental health support.

Rickettsia prowazekii Attack (Typhus Fever)

Abstract: Typhus fever (TF) is caused by the bacillus Rickettsia prowazekii and is generally passed to humans by infected fecal matter of the body louse. War, natural disasters, or other situations leading to crowding and poor sanitation can cause an increase in TF cases. Providers must employ contact and airborne precautions when dealing with cases of TF. Symptoms are nonspecific, and the diagnosis is easily missed. Early initiation of doxycycline is the treatment of choice. Brill-Zinsser disease, a mild form of TF, can recur in treated patients and seed a new epidemic. TF is a potential bioterrorism agent because of moderate ease of distribution, relative stability, and moderate casualty rates. Isolation and decontamination are key to managing outbreaks.

Multidimensional poverty in Brazil: evidences for rural and urban areas

Abstract: Abstract This paper studied the behavior of multidimensional and income poverty, as well as its determinants in Brazil, in addition to rural and urban areas, based on information from the 2019 National Continuous Household Sample Survey (PNADC). The Alkire-Foster methodology was used in the construction of a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), in addition to the logit model to estimate the impacts of determinants related to household characteristics on poverty. The health and sanitation dimension was the one that contributed the most to the MPI, followed by the education and housing dimensions. Unidimensional poverty was greater than multidimensional and rural poverty was also greater. Among the determinants of poverty, being in households with non-white heads, younger, unmarried, unemployed, less educated and in the North and Northeast regions increased the chances of poverty. In addition, while female heads reduced the chances of multidimensional poverty, it increased the chances of the unidimensional one.

Famine

Abstract: Famine is a public health emergency in which extreme food insecurity results in significant morbidity and mortality. Acute malnutrition not only leads directly to death from starvation but also weakens the immune system, predisposing those affected to communicable diseases like diarrheal illness and respiratory infections as well as micronutrient deficiencies. In a famine, more than 30% of the population is affected by acute, severe malnutrition. Quantitatively assessing the prevalence of malnutrition incorporates anthropometric surveys in young children as a proxy for the general population, using data metrics such as weight-for-height, height-for-age, and mean upper arm circumference. Once a state of famine has been identified, addressing this crisis requires a coordinated, comprehensive international response. This includes preventive measures such as clean water, sanitation, and vaccinations, as well as curative methods such as community food distribution, supplemental feeding programs, and therapeutic feeding centers. Failure to quickly mobilize a response, institute a community-based approach, or address the underlying causes of the food crisis will preferentially and negatively affect young children, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly, who are among the most vulnerable members of a population in famine.