Volume 15, Supplement 1, 2007
Review
General organizational issues in disaster health response
Pacifici Laura Elena,
Riccardo Flavia,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Pacini Antonella,
Nardi Lorenzo,
Russo Gianluca,
Scaroni Elena
Recent studies show how in the 2004-2005 period there has been an increase in natural disasters of 18% worldwide.
According to a renowned author “planning for disaster response is as valid as the starting hypothesis”.
The study of an inductive mental process in disaster response planning is the key to avoiding the “invention and re-invention of the wheel” for each emergency.
Research in this field however is hampered by different factors one of which is data collection that during disaster response requires specific training. Standardization of data collection models with limitation of the number of variables is required as is taking into account problems related to people migration and subsequent sampling problems and retrospective analysis. Moreover poor attention to the training of the volunteers employed on the field is an issue to be considered.
New global challenges: the role of International Organizations
Nardi Lorenzo,
Scaroni Elena,
Riccardo Flavia,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Pacini Antonella,
Russo Gianluca,
Pacifici Laura Elena
Facing the numerous humanitarian emergencies that upset the international balances, the International Organisations (IO) who intervene are: the Agencies of the United Nations (UN), the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and NGOs.
In the sector of international health cooperation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has elaborated a document, the International Health Regulations (IHR), that regulates the health workers’ activity during a health emergency.
In this paper different International Organizations employed in international humanitarian crisis are described.
Laws relevant to international missions of health cooperation.
Scarone Elena,
Riccardo Flavia,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Russo Gianluca,
Pacini Antonella,
Nardi Lorenzo,
Pacifici Laura Elena
Both medical doctors and humanitarian operators engaged in health relief or development missions abroad, are called to respect the general principles of international law, that is to say, customary law that is legally compulsory for the International Community and rules deriving from Treaties and International Conventions. Humanitarian operators have to observe also the rules and regulations of the hosting country. They have to respect all rules applying to their humanitarian action and they have to take responsibility towards beneficiaries and donors alike.
Psychological perception of risk, infections and catastrophes. The greatest danger is human nature.
Pacini Antonella,
Pacifici Laura Elena,
Riccardo Flavia,
Nardi Lorenzo,
Russo Gianluca,
Scaroni Elena,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia
Risk perception is due to a subjective evaluation of reality and depends on a number of factors such as: individual coherence and flexibility, the set of social values and rules that contributed to the definition of the individuals’ interior world – this does not always make proper risk perception possible.
Even though the way common people set-up their own judgment is based on their own interpretation tracks, surely different from expert criteria, we cannot label their approach as irrational.
Over time, through an evolutionary process, people have decided what is safe and what is dangerous; this personal awareness was not based on the science but on experiences, images, feelings and emotions.
Most of the time, neither social nor economical conditions can prevent people to feel an epidemic risk in the same way as it was felt during the plague of 1350.
Optimizing international humanitarian assistance through the definition of personal profiles: the role of graphology.
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Pacini Antonella,
Scaroni Elena,
Riccardo Flavia,
Nardi Lorenzo,
Russo Gianluca,
Pacifici Laura Elena
The authors illustrate the frequent applications of the modern science of graphology after having evoked its birth and development.
Regarding the relationship between major catastrophes and graphology they specify that the latter is useful both in the definition of the personality profiles of the staff that is sent on relief missions and in evaluating the reactions of the victims in order to simplify the work of psychologists.
Infectious diseases and population assistance: general issues.
Russo Gianluca,
Riccardo Flavia,
Scaroni Elena,
Nardi Lorenzo,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Pacini Antonella,
Pacifici Laura Elena
Actually the infectious diseases are a predominant cause of morbidity and mortality in resource limited countries and, of course, not unimportant in industrialized countries where the social phenomena of immigration and increased internal and international mobility of people they may facilitate the reemergence of infectious diseases considered overcome. It will be common interesting to think about the actual role of assistance of people for infectious diseases: a careful consideration needing of concretes example for becoming medical practices and social languages appropriates to the local context and useful for promoting more efficacious cares and prevention of infectious diseases.
Epidemiological surveillance for infectious diseases and humanitarian emergencies.
Riccardo Flavia,
Russo Gianluca,
Scaroni Elena,
De Rosa Antonella Grazia,
Pacini Antonella,
Nardi Lorenzo,
Pacifici Laura Elena
A disaster both natural and man made is managed in time according to separate phases that respond to specific requirements and needs. In the late and post emergency phases problems of public health are priority and in particular the identification and containment of epidemic clusters. Epidemiological surveillance is the main instrument used and in this paper it is analysed both in theory and in it’s application in the Italian Red Cross mission in Sri Lanka devastated by the 2004 Tsunami.
Aero-transport of a MDR-TB affected patient with bio-containment systems
Lastilla Marco,
Biselli Roberto,
Autore Alberto,
Arganese Ferdinando,
Di Stefano Manfredo,
Sarlo Ottavio
The Italian Air Force medical service, in order to attend to its duty, has to deal with the search, rescue and aeromedical evacuation of the wounded and sick. Due to the increase of air transportation, the likelihood of contracting disease, such as haemorrhagic fevers has risen and it is necessary to know how to treat a patient abroad suffering from severe infectious disease without running any risk either for the medical personel or for the air crew. The military sanitary service of the Air Force has been preparing for this purpose through a meticulous preparation in Italy and in the USA in order to satisfy these need and through the use of streatchers specifically designed to transport highly contagious patients: AIRCRAFT TRANSIT ISOLATORS (ATIS) and STRETCHER TRANSIT ISOLATORS (STIS).
These particular medical tools are provided by filter HEPA and they are completely insulated in a PVC envelope. The former(ATI) is used to transport the patient by airplane, the latter is used for road travel.
Last january 24th the first real mission was performed transporting a severe TBC-MDR (case) from Alghero to Milan. All went well and the patient left the hospital of Sondalo two months later.
