DISASTER DATA BASE: A New Experimental Model

1. DISASTER DATA BASE: A New Experimental Model Dr. A. Rossodivita San Raffaele Foundation Italy Scientific Networking and the Global Health Supercourse for the prevention of threat from man made and natural Disasters Lithuania Aug 8-10 2005

2. Disasters always arise from some disequilibrium between hazards in the environment and the vulnerabilities of human communities. In the 21st century natural and complex disasters caused a dramatic increase in the demand for emergency medical care. Disaster are generally considered “ low probability – high impact events”.

3. Introduction • Epidemiological data are well recognized as essential to understand to competent disaster management. Studies of disaster impact on public health have suffered by the lack of these data, especially the lack on real time. The analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities represent the key to manage and mitigate disasters assessment.

4. Introduction II • Efforts to establish a better preparedness for and prevention of disasters have been a priority of each country • Planners, policymakers, authorities and all forces engaged in emergency have expressed need of these data

5. Aim of this study I • Create a country Disaster Data Base, an Italian Disaster Data Base, to collect all historical information on disasters which have directly affected Italians, and to establish a model for the future • Investigate the impact of disasters upon the physical security and people’s health

6. Aim of the study II • Constitution of a National Italian Working Group for the study of Disaster Epidemiology and the establishment of a National Data Base (ITEM-DAT) • Create a World Web Site

7. Aim of the study III • Display and share all information available on disasters • Allow the collection of so-called “perishable” data and all data with “lack access” because considered confidential or under proprietary rights

8. Materials and methods I The ITEM –DAT will describe • where and when a disaster occurred • who was affected and give • an analysis of the factors that are most likely to produce an hazards • an estimation of the direct costs

9. Materials and methods II The ITEM-DAT will contain references to all type of Italian Disaster accidents and will be organised in three different sections : • natural hazards • anthropogenic hazards • conflict or terrorism related accidents

10. Materials and methods III ITEM-DAT will be : • Easy to list • Easy to understand • Easy to analyse

11. HOW TO REALIZE THIS ?

12. National Working Group for studying Disaster Epidemiology (ITEM Working Group) and establishing a World Wide Web Site • Will be a permanent working group • Competent researchers and practitioners will investigate and study the impact of disaster upon the physical security and the public health

13. ITEM Working Group • Experts from different fields • Any discipline that deals with the impact of natural or anthropogenic disasters on security and health of human populations • Objective : on applied science and on methods of planning in order to contribute to the reduction in loss of human lives, injuries and suffering people

14. ITEM Working Group • Ameliorate methods to estimate the number, the type and location of injuries caused by a disaster • Study of means to reduce vulnerability to injuries during a disaster • Improve the policies to reduce risks and mitigate events in case of a catastrophe

15. ITEM Working Group • National education program with the objective of increase the level of knowledge about disasters • Possibility to create an e-book • Tight collaboration with relevant national and international organizations

16. Today • Actually there are a lot of International Data Base created to meet the need of better data collection on disaster occurrence, with very different formats, criteria and purposes

17. Results expected • Realize a centralised archive on disaster injury epidemiology • Improve and balance the Italian public health and security preparedness in all Italian districts • Mitigation • Prevention programmes

18. Results • Rationalise decision making for disaster preparedness • Serve the purpose of an humanitarian action to national and international level • Be a template for other countries to compare the global disasters data

19. San Raffaele Hospital is one of the most important research and scientific institute in the Italian scenario. San Raffaele Hospital operates internationally with AISPO (Italian Association for People’s Solidarity): a non-profit organisation created in 1984 by San Raffaele to carry out health-related initiatives in developing countries. AISPO promotes both development and emergency or post-emergency projects

20. The emergency situations in which AISPO operates are usually related to: • Natural disasters • Man-made disasters • Health epidemics

21. NATURAL DISASTERS 2003 NORTH COLOMBIA: Support to people displaced by floatings 2005 SRI LANKA : Health Support to the community hit by tsunami

22. MAN-MADE DISASTERS 1994 & 2001 MOZAMBIQUE support to people uprooted by local conflicts (Caia & Chemba Districts) 2002 AFGHANISTAN: support to the reorganization of health services after the war UGANDA: support to Lacor Hospital in conflict area 1994 MOZAMBIQUE: support to the reorganization of health service in post conflict situation 1993 ALGERIA: support to Beni-Missous Hospital PALESTINE: support to the rehabilitation of people with disabilities caused by war trauma 2004 IRAQ: post-war reconstruction

23. HEALTH EPIDEMICS 1996 ALBANIA : Poliomyelitis epidemics (ECHO) 2004 CINA: SARS epidemics (MAE) 2001 UGANDA: Ebola epidemics (ECHO)

24. San Raffaele Foundation http://www.fondazionesanraffaele.it