 | Coping with Natural Disasters: Role of Local Health Personnel & Community (World Health Organisation) |
 |  | (introduction...) |
| | Acknowledgements |
| | Introduction : An active role for communities and their health personnel |
|  | Part I : The disaster |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Chapter 1 : Community rescue operations |
| | Fear |
| | Panic |
| | Rescue operations |
| | Reception at the health centre or hospital |
| | Chapter 2 : The tasks of the local health personnel |
| | Organizing the health centre or hospital to meet the emergency |
| | Triage |
| | Emergency care |
| | Part II : The aftermath |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Chapter 3 : Action by the community |
| | The coordination committee |
| | Assessment of requirements |
| | Outside assistance |
| | Coordination of groups from outside |
| | Family groupings |
| | Temporary shelter and sanitation |
| | Displaced persons |
| | Monitoring food supplies |
| | Food distribution |
| | Dealing with the dead |
| | Dealing with animals |
| | Post-disaster development |
| | Chapter 4 : Action by the local health personnel |
| | Post-disaster health problems and the organization of the local health personnel |
| | Monitoring the community's health status |
| | Vaccinations |
| | Nutrition |
| | Health education and sanitation |
| | Mental health |
| | Vulnerable groups |
| | Periodic reports by the local health personnel |
| | Part III : Preventing and alleviating the consequences of disasters |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Chapter 5 : Action by the community |
| | Analysis of past experience |
| | Information on disasters |
| | Some information on natural disasters |
| | Knowledge of the risks and the resources |
| | Evacuation of the population |
| | Twinning |
| | Exercises and activities to promote community preparedness |
| | Basic education |
| | Chapter 6 : Action by the local health personnel |
| | Essential professional qualities of local health personnel for coping with disasters |
| | Improving certain professional skills |
| | Preparation of the health centre or hospital |
| | The training of voluntary health workers |
| | Preparedness activities for the population |
| | Annexes |
| | Annex 1 : Diseases to be monitored when people are housed in temporary shelters |
| | Annex 2 : Specimen record card for use by person in charge of family grouping in preparing health report in collaboration with local health personnel |
| | Annex 3 : Nutrition |
| | Recommended daily energy and protein intakes for healthy individuals |
| | Weight-for-height |
| | Arm-circumference-for-height, young children (both sexes) |
| | Indicators of likely need for a supplementary feeding programme (SFP) |
| | Annex 4 : What to do in an earthquake |
| | Annex 5 : Mercalli scale of earthquake intensities (ms) |
| | Annex 6 : Community risk maps |
| | Annex 7 : The signs of danger in disaster-damaged buildings |
| | Annex 8 : Resource maps |
| | Annex 9 : Medical equipment of the health centre or hospital for coping with a disaster |
| | Annex 10 : Outline schedules for self-evaluation in the event of disaster |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Self-evaluation schedule for action taken by the community |
| | Self-evaluation schedule for action by the local health personnel |
| | Annex 11 : The league of red cross and red crescent societies (LORCS) |
| | Annex 12 : A short reading list for local health personnel |
Nutrition
Nutritional problems arise above all following prolonged drought but may also occur after certain other types of disaster involving damage to crops, to stock and to food distribution systems and thus leading to difficulties in maintaining supplies.
The countries where these problems are the most likely to occur are those in which even in normal times the nutritional status of the population is unsatisfactory. The most vulnerable groups are:
• infants (particularly those not breast-fed),
•
children,
• pregnant women,
• nursing mothers,
• the
sick.
Children have very high nutritional requirements compared with adults. A table in Annex 3 provides information on energy and protein requirements.
Nutritional status is monitored on the basis of the clinical signs of malnutrition and measurements of the following values:
• Weight for height. It is considered that children with a weight of under 70 % of the normal weight for their height are suffering from a serious degree of malnutrition and those with a weight between 70 % and 80 % of normal from a moderate degree of malnutrition. Annex 3 summarizes the percentage deviations from normal weight for height.
• Arm circumference (a more rapid but less reliable measurement). The circumference is measured on the left arm half way between the tip of the shoulder (acromion) and the tip of the elbow (olecranon). A child with an arm circumference of under 70 % of the standard value is considered to be in a state of serious malnutrition. Annex 3 summarizes from normal in arm circumference.
Education on nutrition should be based on using foodstuffs available on the spot to prepare balanced meals. In general a balanced meal should contain at least 20 g of protein and fats should contribute between 20 % and 40 % of total calories. It should contain carbohydrates (sugar, cereals, edible tubers), vitamins and mineral salts.
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