The Role of Professional Societies in Achieving Global Health Security: Validating a Discipline of Disaster Medicine and Public Health

Abstract

Following the events of September 11, 2001, interest in and support of preparedness and response activities have increased dramatically and have involved virtually every nation and, to a varying extent, every sector of society. Parallel with this, the number, intensity, and impacts of catastrophic events have also increased. From 1970 to 2004, natural disasters (geophysical plus climate) have increased from an average of 78–348 annually, and since 1990, some 200,000 million people have been affected every year. Regardless of one’s viewpoint, the concept of assured health and dignity common to all perspectives on global health security is destabilized by disasters which, by definition, are overwhelming events requiring external support. When looked at in totality, the study of such catastrophic events can be overwhelming and defies our ability as individuals to come to grips with it in a productive way that can mitigate their human and socioeconomic consequences. One approach would be to limit our focus to the role of one sector and to better define optimizing the impact of those comprising that sector. As the common component of all response and recovery efforts is minimizing the negative effects of catastrophic events on individuals and populations, the health sector cuts across all phases of preparedness and response efforts. This is not to ignore the critical interactions needed between multiple sectors but to better understand how to be better prepared as health professionals to contribute to best achieving global health security.