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DISASTER
RECOVERY

What Happens after the

First Responders are Gone?

By Alan Preston, MHA, Sc.D

hen a natural disaster hits a community, most com- when a natural disaster occurs. And when a country has such limited
W munities in the USA have many dedicated police, fire, financial resources, the infrastructure is representative of the wealth

ambulance services that are quick to respond and
of a nation. The lack of infrastructure in buildings alone was a great
help those who have fallen victim to the disaster. We contributor to the massive casualties in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
are very lucky in this regard and often do not give the thanks to the However, the devastation did not stop with the destructions of
selfless men and women who work tirelessly to help people in need. buildings. Vectors of disease can be as deadly as the underlying nat-
Our medical communities play a vital role in helping those in crisis. ural disaster itself. Months after the earthquake, a new disaster
However, what happens when the news media leaves after the first struck the people of Haiti; Cholera. This disease is an infectious
48 hours and the communities are left to pick up the pieces? And disease that causes severe diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration,
in other countries that are not as fortunate, their disasters are far which often leads to death if untreated. It is generally caused by eat-
worse given a lack of resources. ing food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called
Take the case of the 7.0 earthquake in 2010 that struck Port au Vibrio cholerae. It has been estimated that over 10,000 Haitians died
Prince in Haiti. First, let’s take a look at the scope of Haiti in terms from Cholera and over 100,000 became ill as a result of contami-
of GDP, population, and per capita income. Haiti is a poor country. nation of the water, food, and spread of the disease. The irony of
The GDP is approximately eight (8) billion. The population is ap- the etiology of the disease is that scientists believe it was brought
proximately 10.8 million. The per capita income is approximately to Haiti by United Nations peacekeepers stationed at a base that
$400.00 per year! Thus, it should be clear that Haiti is an impover- leaked waste into a river. Rivers tend to be a source of drinking
ished country and their resources are indeed limited particularly water in impoverished countries like Haiti.

22 San Antonio Medicine • February 2018