Articles
3. Hazards and their impact on health
The PAHO/WHO publication Health in the Americas (2007 edition, page 150) presents a troubling estimate: approximately 73% of the population and 67% of the health centers and hospitals in 18 countries of the Americas are in high-risk areas.
Preliminary Summary of Disaster Impact in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010
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3.1. Natural hazards
Natural hazards (as defined earlier) such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions, among others, can have serious effects on health, but the impact varies as a function of various factors, including:
a) The severity of the hazard.
b) the vulnerability of the population.
c) The community’s state of preparedness and response capacity.
In the past, it was believed that sudden-onset disasters not only caused widespread mortality, but also produced massive social disorder, epidemics, and famines, leaving survivors totally at the mercy of international humanitarian relief. Systematic observation of the effects of natural disasters on human health has led to very different conclusions, both with respect to health effects themselves and as regards the most effective ways of providing humanitarian assistance.