scholarly journals Modelling homogeneous regions of social vulnerability to malaria in Rwanda

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1s) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Pierre Bizimana ◽  
Stefan Kienberger ◽  
Michael Hagenlocher ◽  
Emmanuel Twarabamenye
Keyword(s):  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Malaria Incidence ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Malaria Epidemiology ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
Applied Approach ◽  
Homogeneous Regions

Despite the decline in malaria incidence due to intense interventions, potentials for malaria transmission persist in Rwanda. To eradicate malaria in Rwanda, strategies need to expand beyond approaches that focus solely on malaria epidemiology and also consider the socioeconomic, demographic and biological/disease-related factors that determine the vulnerability of potentially exposed populations. This paper analyses current levels of social vulnerability to malaria in Rwanda by integrating a set of weighted vulnerability indicators. The paper uses regionalisation techniques as a spatially explicit approach for delineating homogeneous regions of social vulnerability to malaria. This overcomes the limitations of administrative boundaries for modelling the trans-boundary social vulnerability to malaria. The utilised approach revealed high levels of social vulnerability to malaria in the highland areas of Rwanda, as well as in remote areas where populations are more susceptible. Susceptibility may be due to the populations’ lacking the capacity to anticipate mosquito bites, or lacking resilience to cope with or recover from malaria infection. By highlighting the most influential indicators of social vulnerability to malaria, the applied approach indicates which vulnerability domains need to be addressed, and where appropriate interventions are most required. Interventions to improve the socioeconomic development in highly vulnerable areas could prove highly effective, and provide sustainable outcomes against malaria in Rwanda. This would ultimately increase the resilience of the population and their capacity to better anticipate, cope with, and recover from possible infection.

Social vulnerability indicators in disasters: Findings from a systematic review

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farin Fatemi ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Benigno Aguirre ◽  
Nabiollah Mansouri ◽  
Iraj Mohammadfam
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators

scholarly journals Pandemic Injustice: Spatial and Social Distributions of COVID-19 in the US Epicenter

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150007
Author(s):  
Timon McPhearson ◽  
Zbigniew Grabowski ◽  
Pablo Herreros-Cantis ◽  
Ahmed Mustafa ◽  
Luis Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
The U.S

We examine the uneven social and spatial distributions of COVID-19 and their relationships with indicators of social vulnerability in the U.S. epicenter, New York City (NYC). As of July 17th, 2020, NYC, despite having only 2.5% of the U.S. population, has [Formula: see text]6% of all confirmed cases, and [Formula: see text]16% of all deaths, making it a key learning ground for the social dynamics of the disease. Our analysis focuses on the multiple potential social, economic, and demographic drivers of disproportionate impacts in COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as population rates of testing. Findings show that immediate impacts of COVID-19 largely fall along lines of race and class. Indicators of poverty, race, disability, language isolation, rent burden, unemployment, lack of health insurance, and housing crowding all significantly drive spatial patterns in prevalence of COVID-19 testing, confirmed cases, death rates, and severity. Income in particular has a consistent negative relationship with rates of death and disease severity. The largest differences in social vulnerability indicators are also driven by populations of people of color, poverty, housing crowding, and rates of disability. Results highlight the need for targeted responses to address injustice of COVID-19 cases and deaths, importance of recovery strategies that account for differential vulnerability, and provide an analytical approach for advancing research to examine potential similar injustice of COVID-19 in other U.S. cities. Significance Statement Communities around the world have variable success in mitigating the social impacts of COVID-19, with many urban areas being hit particularly hard. Analysis of social vulnerability to COVID-19 in the NYC, the U.S. national epicenter, shows strongly disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on low income populations and communities of color. Results highlight the class and racial inequities of the coronavirus pandemic in NYC, and the need to unpack the drivers of social vulnerability. To that aim, we provide a replicable framework for examining patterns of uneven social vulnerability to COVID-19- using publicly available data which can be readily applied in other study regions, especially within the U.S.A. This study is important to inform public and policy debate over strategies for short- and long-term responses that address the injustice of disproportionate impacts of COVID-19. Although similar studies examining social vulnerability and equity dimensions of the COVID-19 outbreak in cities across the U.S. have been conducted (Cordes and Castro 2020, Kim and Bostwick 2002, Gaynor and Wilson 2020; Wang et al. 2020; Choi and Unwin 2020), this study provides a more comprehensive analysis in NYC that extends previous contributions to use the highest resolution spatial units for data aggregation (ZCTAs). We also include mortality and severity rates as key indicators and provide a replicable framework that draws from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability indicators for communities in NYC.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Social and Physical Vulnerability to Hydroclimate Extremes in Appalachia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah R. Handwerger ◽  
Jennifer R. Runkle ◽  
Ronald Leeper ◽  
Elizabeth Shay ◽  
Kara Dempsey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Precipitation Variability ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Physical Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators

Abstract Appalachia is a cultural region in the southern and central Appalachian Mountains that lags behind the nation in several social vulnerability indicators. Climate projections over this region indicate that precipitation variability will increase in both severity and frequency in future decades, suggesting that the occurrence of natural hazards related to hydroclimate extremes will also increase. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of drought and precipitation and determine how trends overlap with vulnerable communities across Appalachia. The study utilized trend analysis through Mann-Kendall calculations and a Social Vulnerability Index, resulting in a bivariate map that displays areas most susceptible to adverse effects from hydroclimate extremes. Results show the southwestern portion of the region as most vulnerable to increased precipitation, and the central-southeast most vulnerable to an increase in drought-precipitation variability. This study is among the first to utilize the boundaries defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission from a climatological perspective, allowing findings to reach audiences outside the scientific community and bring more effective mitigation strategies that span from the local to federal levels.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY TO THE IMPACT OF FLOOD HAZARD: A CASE STUDY OF KOPILI RIVER BASIN, ASSAM, INDIA

2018 ◽  
Vol XLII-5 ◽  
pp. 455-460
Author(s):  
S. V. Shiva Prasad Sharma ◽  
P. S. Roy ◽  
V. Chakravarthi
Keyword(s):  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Vulnerable Zones

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> In the present study, an attempt is made to understand the impact on Social Vulnerability of the Kopili basin due to various severities of flood hazard. The flood hazard is generated using multi-temporal historical satellite based analysis and integration of annual flood inundation layers. The census of India data of 2001 and 2011 is spatially joined with village database to study the impact at village level. Using 5 Census variables from both Census 2001 &amp;amp; 2011 as vulnerability indicators, the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is derived and classified into various vulnerable zones namely Low, Moderate and High Vulnerable zones. The findings of the study show that the number of villages falling in Low and High Vulnerable zones had decreased during Census 2011 when compared to 2001 and a rise of 6% in villages falling in moderate vulnerable zones during 2011 is observed. The spatial database generated is useful to understand the impact of floods on the Social Vulnerability status of the basin and can be a useful input to further study the Physical, Economic and Environmental Vulnerabilities of the basin.</p>

Assessing Social Vulnerability to Fire Hazards at the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-73
Author(s):  
Dacosta Aboagye ◽  
Samuel Adu-Prah ◽  
Christabel E. Ansah
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Fire Hazards ◽  
Fire Disaster ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Method Approach

This article describes how social vulnerability indicators can assist with informing fire disaster relief preparations. Fire outbreaks at the Kumasi Central Market in Ghana have become an annual event. About 27 fire disasters were recorded between 2007 and 2016. This article uses a spatially-centered approach to assess human vulnerability to fire risk at the location. The study used a geographic information system to compliment indicators of vulnerability to assess the level of fire risk and adaptive capacities. Mixed method approach was also used to collect survey data from traders and emergency response agencies. Data sets were analyzed using SPSS and ArcGIS. The study revealed that: most of the damaging fires occur during the dry season; fire hydrants in the market are insufficient and inaccessible; and there are low levels of awareness on fire risk and weak adaptive capacities. The article recommends provision of more fire hydrants and mass education on disaster risk prevention. Also, the market must be reconstructed with fire resistant materials and designed to make it more accessible to fire emergency response.

scholarly journals Housing Vulnerability and Property Prices: Spatial Analyses in the Turin Real Estate Market

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Barreca ◽  
Rocco Curto ◽  
Diana Rolando
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Spatial Analyses ◽  
Price Determination ◽  
Spatially Correlated ◽  
Property Prices ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
Property Price ◽  
Physical Features

In the literature, several vulnerability/resilience indicators and indexes are based and assessed by taking into account and combining different dimensions. Housing vulnerability is one of these dimensions and is strictly related to the buildings’ physical features and to the socio-economic condition of their occupants. This research aims to study housing vulnerability in relation to the real estate market by identifying possible indicators and spatially analyzing their influence on property prices. Assuming the city of Turin and its territorial segmentation as a case study, spatial analyses were performed to take into account the presence of spatial dependence and to identify the variables that significantly influence the process of property price determination. The results of this study highlighted the fact that two housing vulnerability indicators, representative of fragile buildings’ physical features, were spatially correlated with property prices and had a significant and negative influence on them. In addition, their comparison with two social vulnerability indicators demonstrated that the presence of economical buildings and council houses was spatially correlated with the presence of people with a low education level. The results of the spatial regression model also confirmed that one of the social vulnerability indicators had the highest and most negative explanatory power in the property price determination process.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Medical Vulnerability Indicators: A Local Data Model for Equity in Public Health Decision-Making

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Ong ◽  
Chhandara Pech ◽  
Nataly Rios Gutierrez ◽  
Vickie Mays
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Local Data ◽  
California Department ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators

AbstractObjectiveTo develop indicators of vulnerability for coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) infection in Los Angeles County (LAC) by race and neighborhood characteristics.DesignDevelopment of indicators that combines pre-existing medical vulnerabilities with social and built-environment data by zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs).SettingNeighborhoods in LAC categorized by race/ethnicity ranked into quintiles by relative vulnerability: Non-Hispanic white; Black; Latinx; Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians combined (CHL); and Other Asians.Data SourcesAskCHIS Neighborhood Edition, American Community Survey 2014-2018, and California Department of Parks and Recreation.Main Outcome Measures1) Pre-Existing Health Condition, 2) Barriers to Accessing Healthcare, 3) Built Environment Risk, and 4) CDC’s Social Vulnerability.ResultsNeighborhoods most vulnerable to COVID-19 are characterized by significant clustering of racial minorities, low income households and unmet medical needs. An overwhelming 73% of Blacks reside in the neighborhoods with the two highest quintiles of pre-existing health conditions, followed by Latinx (70%) and CHL (60%), while 60% of whites reside in low or the lowest vulnerable neighborhoods. For the Barriers to Accessing Healthcare indicator, 40% of Latinx reside in the highest vulnerability places followed by Blacks, CHL and other Asians (29%, 22%, and 16% respectively), compared with only 7% of Whites reside in such neighborhoods. The Built Environment Indicator finds CHL (63%) followed by Latinx (55%) and Blacks (53%) reside in the neighborhoods designated as high or the highest vulnerability compared to 32% of Whites residing in these neighborhoods. The Social Vulnerability Indicator finds 42% of Blacks and Latinx and 38% of CHL residing in neighborhoods of high vulnerability compared with only 8% of Whites residing these neighborhoods.ConclusionsVulnerability to covid-19 infections differs by neighborhood and racial/ethnic groups. Our vulnerability indicators when utilized in decision-making of re-openings or resource distribution such as testing, vaccine distribution, hotel rooms for quarantine and other covid-19-related resources can provide an equity driven data approach for the most vulnerable.

scholarly journals Five Year Trend Analysis of Malaria Cases in Adama, Boset and Lume Districts of East Shawa, Oromia, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temesgen File Hulluka ◽  
Bayisa Chala Chala
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Malaria Incidence ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Malaria Prevalence ◽  
Retrospective Data ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Malaria Epidemiology ◽  
Malaria Indicator Survey ◽  
Regional State

Abstract BackgroundMalaria is an infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. Of the five human malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the two co-endemic predominant and widely distributed species in Ethiopia greatly affecting public health and socio-economic development. Even though enormous effort have been made countrywide to reduce the disease burden little has been reported about trends of malaria transmission in the several localities of malarious areas like East Shawa Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Thus, the present study was aimed at assessing five- year (2016-2020) trends of malaria transmission at Adama, Boset and Lume districts of East Shawa Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. MethodsRetrospective data were collected from the central surveillance of East Shawa Zone Health Office. The data collected was analyzed from September 2020 to December 2020 to examine trends of malaria epidemiology in three malarious districts in the Zone. The result shows, although a remarkable decrease in slide positivity rate (SPR) from (47.8 to 7.9%) and prevalence rate (6 to 1%) in the area, a recent slight increase of malaria SPR and prevalence was observed. Male individuals, particularly the productive section of the society (fifteen years and above age group) were more infected (60%), where falciparum, vivax and mixed malaria cases accounted for (53%), (41%), and (6%) respectively. Conclusion and Recommendations: Although reduction of malaria incidence was recorded in the study area, and higher malaria prevalence compared to the report of the national malaria indicator survey and inconsistency of the reduction rate noted in the study area demands due attention in the sector.

scholarly journals Comprehensive seismic risk assessment map of South Korea developed using seismic, geotechnical, and social vulnerability indicators

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seonyoung Lee ◽  
Seokhoon Oh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Seismic Risk ◽  
Seismic Risk Assessment ◽  
Spatial Continuity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerability Indicators ◽  
Bedrock Depth ◽  
Vulnerability Indicator

Abstract At present, because it is not possible to predict earthquakes, disaster preparedness is vital for the reduction of damages. The awareness about earthquakes has substantially increased after the occurrence of two >M L 5 events in 2016 and 2017 in South Korea. This study presents the seismic risk assessment conducted for the entire country of South Korea. This assessment was performed using seismic, geotechnical, and social vulnerability indicators. The seismic vulnerability indicator was estimated using a probabilistic seismic hazard and fault-line density map that are directly related to the occurrence of earthquakes. The geotechnical vulnerability indicator was derived using bedrock depth data and extrapolation of digital elevation model data through geostatistical techniques. The seismic and geotechnical indicators were integrated based on the bedrock depth distribution. The social vulnerability indicator considered the distribution of relevant parameters such as vulnerable people, old houses, and road information. These statistical data without spatial continuity were incorporated into a map using principal component analysis. A five-grade classification of risks presented by the seismic and geotechnical vulnerability map and the social vulnerability index map was developed to facilitate simultaneous assessment. A risk matrix was applied to the two maps to produce a comprehensive seismic risk assessment map of South Korea, in which the southeastern and northwestern regions of South Korea present a high seismic risk. The results of this study will serve toward seismic risk management and minimize seismic disaster damages in South Korea.

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