Mental and Behavioral Health Legal Preparedness in Major Emergencies

Abstract

Public health emergencies and disasters are often defined by their impact on human health. The 2010 Haiti earthquake, one of the worst natural disasters in global history, had a staggering impact on human morbidity and mortality. More than 230,000 individuals perished from the earthquake itself, thousands more died waiting to be treated for their injuries, and a multitude of survivors face disabling physical impairments. In a country of abject poverty and dysfunctional health services, the physical plight of Haitians constitutes a health emergency necessitating international response efforts. Other natural disasters such as the 2004 Asian tsunamis and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused billions of dollars in damage. Entire economic and social centers were destroyed. Although the 2009/2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic did not damage the built environment, it did affect millions globally, causing or contributing to thousands of deaths among children, young adults, and others who do not typically succumb to seasonal influenza.