Disaster 171
Disaster 171 : The first investigative issue that arises is the characterization of a disaster. This raises the question of "what exactly is a disaster?" Webster's Dictionary defines a disaster as a "sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction. " This is a broad classification, and the term may mean different things to different people. Disasters may represent many different types of events. Those related to weather and the earth's geology are the most widely recognized. Recent events, though, point out that several episodes of mass destruction have their links to our own actions. The se may include industrial accidents, many episodes of famine, and significant population displacements. The common characteristic to each of these events is their severity. These events represent extremes. We normally live with the underlying features of these events present with us every day. They become disasters when the extremes express themselves. http: //www.pitt.edu/AFShome/e/p/epi2170/public/html/lecture15/sld007.htm. One of the most difficult concepts in the literature is to arrive at a definition of a disaster. There have been many attempts to define disasters, but all run into the problem of either being too broad or too narrow. Having a definition of a disaster i s extremely important in epidemiology for identifying which events to include or exclude from your analysis. If events are identified with a common definition, then they can also be more easily compared. In general, most disaster events are defined by the need for external assistance. Perhaps, one reason for this observation is that the disaster relief agencies are often the only organizations with comprehensive and systematic data. There should be some caution applied to data defined in this circumstance. Notably, the decision on which situations require external assistance may differ by country or region. In some situations, it may be a political decision as well. (From: Songer, "Epidemiology of Disasters"/ Songer, T. 1999. "Epidemiology of Disasters", lecture course at the University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A./ http: //www.pitt.edu/AFShome/e/p/epi2170/public/html/lecture15/sld005.htm on 28 June 2004)
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