Preparedness Policies Research Articles

Readiness level of Muhammadiyah School in Bangun Jiwo Village against earthquake disaster

Yogyakarta is an earthquake-prone area, particularly in the Bantul regency, due to its nearness to volcanic routes. On May 27, 2006, during the Yogyakarta earthquake, it was recorded that 2,900 school buildings were damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the current state of school readiness regarding the earthquake readiness of students, teachers, and school buildings. Muhammadiyah Kasihan and SMK Muhammadiyah Bangun Jiwo were evaluated as Muhammadiyah schools in Bangun Jiwo, Bantul Regency. This study used a questionnaire to determine the preparedness index based on a framework modified by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in collaboration with UNESCO/ISDR in 2006. Then each parameter was weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Based on the score level evaluation, the results indicated that MTS Muhammadiyah Kasihan had a moderate readiness index with a score of 64.99%. Low school preparedness policies, emergency response plans, and financial resources cause the average MTS preparedness index. Meanwhile, the readiness index of SMK Muhammadiyah Bangunjiwo is in the high category, with a score of 72.15% based on the score level assessment.

WHAT DO LONG-TERM CARE LEADERS SAY ABOUT THEIR PREPAREDNESS FOR COVID-19? A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract The post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) sector has, in some respects, served as the epicenter in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many decisions were carried out by administrative and/or clinical leaders during this pandemic. The decisions were made based on their professional experiences, and recommendations by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). However, little research has reported on the perspective of those administrators who took the lead during this most difficult time. This study aims to understand how responses and decisions were formed during COVID-19 to ensure resources were available protect staff and residents. Accordingly, this study tried to answer two key questions: 1) What did the PALTC administrative and clinical leaderships learn? 2) What can we do better not if, but when COVID ever “…hits again?” We interviewed nursing home and/or assisted living administrators in two conveniently selected states: Pennsylvania and North Carolina. These interviews (each of which took about 30 minutes) were conducted over Zoom using structured and open-ended questions. The transcripts were entered and analyzed using NVivo – a qualitative data analysis software. The results revealed several themes including communications, relationship building, experience as an administrator, fears and resilience, as well as successful activities to support their staffs such as recognition, bonuses, and food bags prepared for their family. The findings highlight some important administrators’ thoughts which recommend key future strategies. These include whether preparedness assets, knowledge, resources, and policies were adequate and where the future efforts should focus.

Experiences of pregnant women exposed to Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the US Virgin Islands: a qualitative study

IntroductionHurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) in 2017. To date, there is no published literature available on the experiences of pregnant women in the USVI exposed to these hurricanes. Understanding how hurricanes affect pregnant women is key to developing and executing targeted hurricane preparedness and response policies. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of pregnancy and birth among women in the USVI exposed to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.MethodsWe employed a qualitative descriptive methodology to guide sampling, data collection, and analysis. Semi-structured interviews of 30–60 min in length were conducted with a purposive sample of women (N = 18) in the USVI who were pregnant during or became pregnant within two months after the hurricanes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data managed in MAXQDA. Team members developed a codebook, applied codes for content, and reconciled discrepancies. We thematically categorized text according to a socioecological conceptual framework of risk and resilience for maternal-neonatal health following hurricane exposure.ResultsWomen’s experiences were organized into two main categories (risk and resilience). We identified the following themes related to risk at 3 socioecological levels including: (1) individual: changes in food access (We had to go without) and stress (I was supposed to be relaxing); (2) household/community: diminished psychosocial support (Everyone was dealing with their own things) and the presence of physical/environmental hazards (I was really scared); and (3) maternity system: compromised care capacity (The hospital was condemned). The themes related to resilience included: (1) individual: personal coping strategies (Being calm); (2) household/community: mutual psychosocial and tangible support (We shared our resources); and (3) the maternity system: continuity of high-quality care (On top of their game).ConclusionsA socioecological approach provides a useful framework to understand how risk and resilience influence the experience of maternal hurricane exposure. As the frequency of the most intense hurricanes is expected to increase, clinicians, governments, and health systems should work collaboratively to implement hurricane preparedness and response plans that address pregnant women’s unique needs and promote optimal maternal-infant health.

Essential but Excluded: Building Disaster Preparedness Capacity for Home Health Care Workers and Home Care Agencies.

COVID-19 has demonstrated the essential role of home care services in supporting community-dwelling older and disabled individuals through a public health emergency. As the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, home care helped individuals remain in the community and recover from COVID-19 at home. Yet unlike many institutional providers, home care agencies were often disconnected from broader public health disaster planning efforts and struggled to access basic resources, jeopardizing the workers who provide this care and the medically complex and often marginalized patients they support. The exclusion of home care from the broader COVID-19 emergency response underscores how the home care industry operates apart from the traditional health care infrastructure, even as its workers provide essential long-term care services. This special article (1) describes the experiences of home health care workers and their agencies during COVID-19 by summarizing existing empiric research; (2) reflects on how these experiences were shaped and exacerbated by longstanding challenges in the home care industry; and (3) identifies implications for future disaster preparedness policies and practice to better serve this workforce, the home care industry, and those for whom they care.

Peran Perencanaan Partisipatif dalam Kesiapsiagaan Bencana Gunungapi Berbasis Komunitas

Understanding risks and formulating appropriate resource requirements is an important role for volcanic disaster-prone communities. However, development planners in the disaster sector often fail to understand and give a role to the community. This study aims to provide an overview of community participation in planning to support preparedness for the threat of volcanic eruptions. By using a systematic review, various related scientific sources are analyzed. The results show that participatory planning can be a forum for identifying existing conditions of threats, vulnerabilities, and community capacities and resources to minimize risks; encouraging the effectiveness of disaster preparedness policies; become a public space for the citizen to exercise their democratic rights and practice the ability to voice their interests in the implementation of disaster risk management in their area. Even though participatory planning conceptually has a good impact, it needs to be supported by the expertise of the facilitator, and adequate competence from the community and other stakeholders so that rational ideas can clash through dialogue, which is expected to produce appropriate risk reduction actions for the community.

Pre-COVID-19 Physician Awareness of Mental Health Resources During and After Natural and Human-Made Disasters.

Physician mental health is critical during the recovery of natural and human-made disasters (NHDs), yet the accessibility of mental health resources to physicians has not been characterized. This study examined emergency medicine and trauma physician knowledge of and access to mental health resources in NHD settings. The survey was electronically disseminated to the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Association of the Surgery of Trauma between February 4, 2020, and March 9, 2020. The 17-question survey assessed physician awareness and access to emergency preparedness resources at their institutions. Of the responders, 86% (n = 229) were aware of written emergency response plans for their facility. While 31% were aware of the hospital's mental health policies and resources outside of the emergency response plan, only 25% knew how to access these resources during and after NHDs. Finally, 10% reported the incorporation of mental health resources during institutional practice drills. Physicians reported knowledge of emergency preparedness policies; however, significant gaps remain in physician knowledge and access to mental health resources NHD settings. As NHDs increase on a global scale, it is critical for health systems to ensure accessible infrastructure to support the mental well-being of health professionals.

COVID-19 among migrants, refugees, and IDPs: a synthesis of the global empirical literature

Abstract Background The COVID-19 syndemic reveals social and health inequalities, putting marginalized groups such as migrants at greater risk. Yet health systems fail to routinely monitor the health of migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons. Our systematic review provides an up-to-date synthesis of the empirical evidence on COVID-19 infection risk, transmission, outcome of disease and risk of severe course of disease among migrant populations. It further aims to compile extant evidence on COVID-19 vaccination coverage among these groups, and on the effects of pandemic control measures on their health. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we registered a review protocol, searched 14 scientific databases and 4 pre-print servers using the WHO database of global literature on COVID-19, and hand-searched relevant websites for grey literature. The search period covers the time from 12/2019 to 11/30/2021. Articles in English, German and Spanish and all study designs were included. Results A total of 6966 references were identified for title and abstract screening. 518 records were screened in full-text, out of which 204 articles were included so far (conflict solving at full-text stage and data extraction are ongoing). Our review presents a broad landscape of different study designs, migrant populations and COVID-19 outcomes. Based on previous work, we expect to find a higher risk of infection in migrants and their disproportionate share among COVID-19 cases, and consolidate the (mental) health impacts of pandemic control measures. Our preliminary findings indicate a vast knowledge gap on vaccination coverage among migrant groups. Conclusions Two years into the syndemic, this review summarizes the global empirical evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 syndemic on migrant populations. With health systems often lacking related data, the review provides an important evidence base for the consideration of migrants in future pandemic preparedness policies. Key messages • The systematic review provides an up-to-date synthesis of the empirical evidence on COVID-19 among diverse migrant populations globally. • Knowledge on vaccination coverage in migrants remains patchy.

Global Disability Justice In Climate Disasters: Mobilizing People With Disabilities As Change Agents.

Disabled people are highly susceptible to climate change impacts and disasters, yet they often remain sidelined or largely invisible. Policy makers, humanitarian agencies, and governments need to address the climate-related vulnerabilities that disabled people encounter during acute events and in the course of more creeping forms of climate change. As deaf researchers, we call for integrating disability justice into climate and disaster preparedness policies and practices worldwide. A disability justice approach can embrace the strengths that disabled people bring to disaster planning and climate mitigation and advocacy efforts. In this article we present case studies from different global regions to illustrate how disability is overlooked in responding to climate-related health impacts and disaster planning. We also draw particular attention to mutual aid networks led by disabled people in adapting to climate-related health impacts. We then suggest questions to help policy makers and practitioners integrate disability justice into their work. Above all, disabled people, organizations, and service providers should take ownership over the process of developing policies and actions to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to climate disasters.

Coming of age: a qualitative study of adolescent girls’ menstrual preparedness in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan

Menstrual health is important for adolescent girls and is particularly compromised in displaced communities due to restricted access to information and lack of private spaces to manage menstruation. Menarche is the biological and social milestone of girls’ adolescence, marking the onset of puberty and confirming womanhood in many communities. It also marks a difficult transitional period influenced by socio-cultural beliefs and expectations. Menstrual preparedness is critical for this transition, and the lack of accurate, timely, age-appropriate information might impact current, and future reproductive health and well-being. This paper investigates the menstrual preparedness status of adolescents living in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan. These are long-term refugee camps characterised by a variety of social, economic, and political constraints affecting the health of women and girls. We conducted 39 in-depth interviews and 23 focus-group discussions with adolescent girls. The study reveals inadequate menstrual preparedness among the participants, especially in pre-menarche. Among the barriers to adequate menstrual preparedness is a predominance of practical concerns, such as the use of sanitary pads and hygienic practices, socio-cultural norms that promote secrecy and taboo around menstruation, and divergent notions of timeliness of information among girls, their mothers, and teachers. The study contends that addressing the taboo around menstruation requires joint efforts by the family, school, and social services. Menstrual preparedness should begin early and encompass biological, practical, emotional, and psychological components. The paper advocates for Comprehensive, Contextually Relevant, Timely Menstrual Preparedness (CCTMP) policies and initiatives, empowering adolescent girls, their mothers, and educators.

Seafarers on the shore: issues raised by Australian doctors treating seafarers.

Seafarers on the shore: issues raised by Australian doctors treating seafarers.

Human and economic impacts of natural disasters: can we trust the global data?

Reliable and complete data held in disaster databases are imperative to inform effective disaster preparedness and mitigation policies. Nonetheless, disaster databases are highly prone to missingness. In this article, we conduct a missing data diagnosis of the widely-cited, global disaster database, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) to identify the extent and potential determinants of missing data within EM-DAT. In addition, through a review of prominent empirical literature, we contextualise how missing data within EM-DAT has been handled previously. A large proportion of missing data was identified for disasters attributed to natural hazards occurring between 1990 and 2020, particularly on the economic losses. The year the disaster occurred, income-classification of the affected country and disaster type were all significant predictors of missingness for key human and economic loss variables. Accordingly, data are unlikely to be missing completely at random. Advanced statistical methods to handle missing data are thus warranted when analysing disaster data to minimise the risk of biasing statistical inferences and to ensure global disaster data can be trusted.

Valuing Human Impact of Natural Disasters: A Review of Methods.

This paper provides a comprehensive set of methodologies that have been used in the literature to give a monetary value to the human impact in a natural disaster setting. Four databases were searched for relevant published and gray literature documents with a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-seven studies that quantified the value of a statistical life in a disaster setting or discussed methodologies of estimating value of life were included. Analysis highlighted the complexity and variability of methods and estimations of values of statistical life. No single method to estimate the value of a statistical life is universally agreed upon, although stated preference methods seem to be the preferred approach. The value of one life varies significantly ranging from USD 143,000 to 15 million. While an overwhelming majority of studies concern high-income countries, most disaster casualties are observed in low- and middle-income countries. Data on the human impact of disasters are usually available in disasters databases. However, lost lives are not traditionally translated into monetary terms. Therefore, the full financial cost of disasters has rarely been evaluated. More research is needed to utilize the value of life estimates in order to guide policymakers in preparedness and mitigation policies.

예비전력(豫備戰力) 실효성 확보를 위한 국가비상대비체계 발전 방향 연구

The purpose of this study is to present the development direction of the national emergency preparedness system in Korea. Considering that the creation of reserve forces is based on the national emergency preparedness system, for Securing the Effectiveness of Reserve Forces should precede the development of the national emergency preparedness system. To summarize the study results, first, in terms of laws and regulations, the Fundamental Act on National Crisis Management should be enacted first to lay the foundation for adjusting and controlling various crisis management laws. The effectiveness of the wartime waiting law (draft) should be improved through the peaceful legalization. It was proposed that the Act on Partial Mobilization to Overcome Crisis, such as Local War, should be enacted in peacetime. Second, In terms of reinforcing of organization and manpower organization, the Emergency Preparedness Policy Bureau of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety needs to be promoted to the Vice Minister-level Emergency Preparedness Headquarters, and the central and local emergency preparedness organization needs to be standardized and job education and training. If follow-up study on emergency preparedness plan, mobilization resource management and execution, including related laws and organizational development directions proposed in this study, it is expected that the current national emergency preparedness system will be resolved and the reserve forces will be established.

COVID-19 onset reduced the sex ratio at birth in South Africa.

The sex ratio at birth (defined as male/(male+female) live births) is anticipated to approximate 0.510 with a slight male excess. This ratio has been observed to decrease transiently around 3-5 months following sudden unexpected stressful events. We hypothesised that stress engendered by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused such a decrease in South Africa 3-5 months after March 2020 since in this month, South Africa reported its first COVID-19 case, death and nationwide lockdown restrictions were instituted. We used publicly available, recorded monthly live birth data from Statistics South Africa. The most recent month for which data was available publicly was December 2020. We analysed live births for a 100-month period from September 2012 to December 2020, taking seasonality into account. Chi-squared tests were applied. Over this 100-month period, there were 8,151,364 live births. The lowest recorded monthly sex ratio at birth of 0.499 was in June 2020, 3 months after March 2020. This June was the only month during this period where the sex ratio inverted i.e., fewer male live births occurred. The predicted June 2020 ratio was 0.504. The observed June 2020 decrease was statistically significant p=0.045. The sex ratio at birth decreased and inverted in South Africa in June 2020, for the first time, during the most recent 100-month period. This decline occurred 3 months after the March 2020 onset of COVID-19 in South Africa. As June 2020 is within the critical window when population stressors are known to impact the sex ratio at birth, these findings suggest that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic engendered population stress with notable effects on pregnancy and public health in South Africa. These findings have implications for future pandemic preparedness and social policy.

Identifying Operational Challenges and Solutions During the COVID-19 Response Among US Public Health Laboratories.

Context:The ability to diagnose and screen for infection is an important component of the US COVID-19 response and is facilitated by public health laboratories (PHLs). Anecdotal media reports and limited case studies have described some of the challenges faced by PHLs during the pandemic, particularly initial challenges related to developing and deploying tests to PHLs, but there has not been a systematic evaluation of the experience of PHLs during the pandemic.Objective:To document challenges and lessons learned experienced by local and state PHLs during the COVID-19 pandemic to support generation of best practices for current and future similar emergencies.Design, Setting, and Participants:From February to June 2021, researchers conducted 24 interviews with 68 leaders and staff representing 28 local and state PHLs across 27 states. Thematic analysis of interview content documented operational challenges and any identified solutions or preventive measures used or proposed.Main Outcome Measures:Analysis identified the following themes regarding challenges faced among PHLs: strategic decision making and determining the mandate of the PHL; political interference by jurisdictional leadership; federal mismanagement of the emergency; regulatory challenges; managing partnerships with other laboratories; acquisition of appropriate supplies; insufficient information systems; acquiring and retaining workforce; and difficulty accessing sufficient funding.Results:Within the identified themes, key informants provided further elaboration regarding how PHLs experienced, evaded, or solved these challenges. In addition, PHLs described how challenges evolved throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and made proposals regarding how challenges could be prevented or further addressed in the future by laboratories or other decision makers and stakeholders.Conclusions:While fellow laboratories and political leadership may gain inspiration from creative solutions employed by PHLs, recognition of long-standing gaps related to funding, laboratory workforce, and consideration of laboratory needs in preparedness policies must be addressed for future large-scale outbreaks.

Assessment of Markets Fire Emergency Preparedness in Tanzania A Case Study of 6 Markets in Ilala City Council -Dares Salaam

This study is intended to assess fire emergency preparedness in public and private markets in Dar es Salaam Region by measuring the specific market preparedness in fire emergency policies, fire safety equipment, signage and infrastructure, fire fighting knowledge and fire preparedness plans, and acknowledging areas of improvements. The study was comparative and adopted mixed approach design implying both quantitative and qualitative methods. Primary data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interview and observation. Secondary data were obtained reviewing published dissertations, articles, journals, textbooks and documents from the website. A total sample of 87 respondents from public markets were selected for the study. Quantitative data was analysed by using descriptive statistics with the help of SPSS. Qualitative data was analysed by using content analysis. The use of graphs and charts was encouraged to facilitate data presentation. The findings showed that fire emergency preparedness was good in private Markets compared to public market. The study revealed that both public and private markets had awareness on firefighting activities. However, public market did not offer much trainings compared to private markets which made majority of the respondents to have less knowledge on firefighting. Also, public markets lacked fire emergency policies, plans and some of firefighting equipment compared to private markets. The study recommended that markets should have fire emergency preparedness plans, policies, sufficient equipment, signage and infrastructure and monitoring and evaluation programs. Also separate fire preparedness budget and creation of awareness programs via different communication media to improve emergency preparedness

Educational Preparedness for Virtual Teaching and Learning during COVID-19 Lockdowns: Implication for Policy Innovation

The COVID 19, global pandemic that gripped Zimbabwe throughout 2020 and beyond posed numerous challenges across sectors, including education. As a result of this disaster, several state governments devised mitigation strategies to address challenges. In light of the foregoing, the paper intends to conduct a critical review of the education sector's emergency response to the COVID19 crisis using the document analysis method. It evaluates this strategy as an alternative approach for teaching and learning, revealing its strengths, challenges, and gaps, as well as fostering recommendations for its improvement for future policy innovations. The study used a desk-review methodology, also known as systematic inquiry, to critically evaluate the foundation of education and psychology using empirically researched secondary data (Mertens 2010), which has the potential to yield important new knowledge about virtual teaching and learning where distance is not a barrier. Up to now, a number of challenges and gaps have emerged in this emergency response, necessitating the development of effective and efficient catastrophe preparedness and response policies by educational policymakers. The study findings revealed that there are gaps in Zimbabwe's disaster legislation, which has an impact on the preparedness of education for it to embark in virtual learning during COVID-19 lockdown. The research also found that the education sector is not adequately prepared for disaster risk reduction in order to reduce the sector's vulnerability. The study suggests that intensive mobilization of resource and capacity building be undertaken so as to achieve the envisioned goals in education, with no child left behind.

Implementasi Kebijakan Mitigasi Dan Kesiapsigaan Bencana Pada Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah Kabupaten Bima

The aim of this research is to determine the implementation of mitigation and preparedness policies regarding disaster management in the Bima Regency area. This study used descriptive qualitative method. The location of this research is at the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Bima Regency Office. Data collection techniques consist of observation, interviews and documentation. The research results show that regional capacity level data in disaster management shows that aspects of community preparedness through PODES data and in-depth interviews with office holders at the sub-district level are still very weak. That due to the weak regional capacity index in efforts to reduce disaster risk, the level of preparedness for various types of disasters in the community is also low, automatically the level of risk that will occur in the community is very vulnerable. Community preparedness policies have not yet become a priority activity. However, in strengthening preparedness, the Regional Government of Bima Regency has implemented institutional technical capacity policies as well as strong disaster emergency management mechanisms with a disaster risk reduction perspective. The Bima Regency Government is also exploring ready disaster contingency plans at all levels of Government, holding regular exercises to test and develop disaster emergency response programs. And most importantly, the Regional Government must provide financial and logistical reserves as well as anticipatory mechanisms that are ready to support effective disaster management efforts. One of the efforts of the Bima Regency Regional Government is to determine priority disasters. Determining priority disasters in Bima Regency using a priority disaster matrix based on data on disaster risk levels and data on trends in disaster occurrence for each type of disaster.

Investigating the Indicators and Components of the Institutional Resilience Approach in Urban Incident Management in Iran

INTRODUCTION: Paying attention to different dimensions of resilience is one of the main goals of sustainable development, especially in cities and urban communities with potential risks, and institutional resilience as one of the dimensions of resilience is an important approach to strengthening communities and cities. METHODS: This applied research was conducted based on a descriptive-analytical design. The VIKOR method which is a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making technique was used for analysis. Library and documentary methods were used to collect data and the data collection tool was a seven-7-item questionnaire. FINDINGS: Based on the findings, the organizational structure and the experience of previous incidents held the first and last places. preparedness policies, manager’s effectiveness in prevention, the effectiveness of training, incidence experiences in resource needs assessment, and the impact of financial resources ranked the first in the following sections: organizational structure, education, leadership, the experience of previous disasters, and capacity, respectively. CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the results of this study, each of the indicators found in this study had an important role to play in the management of urban incidents in the country. Therefore, their management is of paramount importance in the achievement of sustainable urban development in the country.

Why People Adopt Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Behaviors: Integrated Model of Risk Communication and Results from Hurricanes, Floods, and Wildfires

Abstract With climate change, weather and climate disaster risks are increasing. At-risk individuals can take climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction behaviors to mitigate and prepare for disaster risks, reduce costs from damage, and save their lives. However, previous fragmented studies have not provided an integrated model to directly compare the factors and identify factors that are most influential in at-risk community members’ behaviors. I present the Integrated Model of Risk Communication by consolidating major theories. This study uses structural equation modeling of quantitative surveys to simultaneously test the impacts of 15 factors on 15 adaptation behaviors for the two most common federally declared disasters (wildfires, hurricanes with floods) in three disaster-prone U.S. states (California, Florida, and Texas) (N = 3,468). Specifically, this study examines 15 behaviors including preparedness, non-structural mitigation, structural mitigation, insurance purchase, and adaptation policy support. Social norms perceptions, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and resource constraints strongly affect behaviors. Response efficacy strongly affects policy support. Risk perception, knowledge, and climate change perception—commonly argued to be key drivers—are insignificant or weak. The model explains 55%-86% of the variance in adaptation behaviors. Results suggest that the focus of adaptation efforts may need to shift from risk perception to efficacy and social norms.