The health impact of natural disasters

The complex and multifaceted nature of health risks secondary to natural disasters will require innovative, holistic, and problem-oriented approaches to risk and disaster management. The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 (HFA), the goal of which is to strengthen the resilience of nations and communities to natural disasters, is the inspiration for much of the current knowledge, practice, implementation, experience, and the science for natural disaster risk reduction. Natural disaster risk reduction offers a comprehensive framework where stakeholders can take coherent and complementary actions through political, social, technological, economic, and humanitarian processes to build resilience. The aim of the recent Hyogo initiative is to globally increase resilience and reduce vulnerability. This chapter will describe the current state of knowledge of the health consequences of natural disasters, the implications of these consequences for policy, and conclude with recommendations for action.