Abstract
Floods have always had and will continue to have significant consequences for society. In May 2014, there was widespread flooding in the Balkans affecting Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The aim of this article is to show that resilient and proactive health systems that anticipate needs and challenges are more likely to reduce risks and respond effectively during emergencies, saving lives and alleviating human suffering. The method draws on multiple sources of information, including a Balkan case study questionnaire survey with public health professionals involved in response to floods (n = 18) from three affected countries, and focus group discussion results (n = 43) presented at the meeting on “Prevention, preparedness and response to reduce or avoid health effects of flood events”, held in Bonn, Germany, in October 2015. The proposed range of measures to protect population health, organized around flood prevention, preparedness, response and recovery listed issues and considerations largely corresponds to the identified needs by Member State requests, following the Balkan country experiences. The consideration of lessons for early warning, preparedness and response and the integration of research results would lead to improved preparedness measures to better prevent flooding risks. Experiences in the WHO European Region point to a need to shift the emphasis from disaster response to long-term risk management.
Highlights
The WHO European Region, which comprises 53 countries, is one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) six regions across the world
The method draws on multiple sources of information, including a Balkan case study questionnaire survey with public health professionals involved in response to floods (n = 18) from three affected countries, and focus group discussion results (n = 43) presented at the meeting on “Prevention, preparedness and response to reduce or avoid health effects of flood events”, held in Bonn, Germany, in October 2015
The summary of the focus group’s discussion highlights that flood warning mechanisms and early warning systems are available in WHO European Region Member States; for all systems there is need for accuracy and greater lead time
Summary
The WHO European Region, which comprises 53 countries, is one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) six regions across the world. In this Region, approximately 400 floods have killed more than 2000 people, affected 8.7 million persons and caused at least €72 billion in losses in the period 1991-2015 [1]. Floods affect people directly through drowning and injuries and after the event through displacement, the destruction of homes, water shortages, infectious diseases and financial loss. The stress to which flood victims are exposed can affect their mental health, and effects can persist a long time after the event. Flooding of health facilities results in increased patient admissions and difficulty in providing emergency and routine medical and nursing care for patients with chronic diseases due to interruption of business and loss of infrastructure [3] [4] [5] [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
