Abstract
Disasters disproportionately impact poor and marginalised populations due to greater vulnerability induced by various risk determinants, such as compromised living conditions, language barriers, and limited resources for disaster risk management. Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) emphasises a people- and community-centred approach for building stronger capacities in communities and countries since community members are often the first responders to health emergencies and should be central to effective risk management. A key action for promoting community disaster preparedness is the provision of Health EDRM education interventions. The Ethnic Minority Health Project (EHMP) has provided community-based Health EDRM education interventions in 16 ethnic minority-based villages in remote areas of China since 2009. It aims to enhance community disaster preparedness and resilience by improving health-risk literacy and self-help capacity at the individual and household levels. This case study outlines the first EHMP project in an ethnic minority-based community (Ma’an Qiao Village) in Sichuan Province, China. It highlights the key elements for planning and managing such a project and is a good demonstration of an effective Health EDRM workforce development project in rural communities. This report concludes with five recommendations for setting up a sustainable and effective Health EDRM education intervention in similar contexts.
Highlights
The health and socioeconomic impacts of disasters are influenced by the complex interactions between the severity and frequency of a hazard, the numbers of people exposed to the hazard, their vulnerability, and risk management capacities [1]
One key element for the promotion of community disaster preparedness is the provision of Health EDRM education interventions in communities [3]
Developing and delivering evidence-based, effective, and sustainable communitybased Health EDRM education interventions is challenging in rural areas and in developing countries due to limited resources and capacities, and weak public health systems
Summary
The health and socioeconomic impacts of disasters are influenced by the complex interactions between the severity and frequency of a hazard, the numbers of people exposed to the hazard, their vulnerability, and risk management capacities [1]. Many communities in the world are threatened by risks and consequences of health emergencies and disasters. Disasters can disproportionately impact certain groups in society, such as poor and marginalised populations, due to higher vulnerability and low resilience derived from underlying risk determinants, including poor living conditions, living in remote and hazard-prone areas, having fewer resources for disaster preparedness, and potential communication challenges with government agencies [2].
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