Abdullah Al-Maniri, PhDAssistant professorDepartment of Family Medicine and Public HealthCollege of Medicine and Health SciencesSultan Qaboos University

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

People with Special Needs

in

Emergencies

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

• One day there was a fire in a wastebasket in the Dean's office and in rushed a physicist, a chemist, and a statistician.

• The physicist immediately starts to work on how much energy would have to be removed from the fire to stop the ignition.

• The chemist works on which reagent would have to be added to the fire to prevent oxidation.

• While they are doing this, the statistician was setting fires to all the other places in the office. The physicist and the chemist shouted "What are you doing? ”

• The statistician replies. " We need a large sample size“

• Take home message ’’Statisticions are of special needs’’

A Statisticion in emergency!

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Outline

• Why people with special needs?

•Who are the people with special needs?

•What stratgies are needed to enhance prepredaness, planning and response for special needs population?

• Case senario: group discussion.

Although everyone is at risk for harm, some populations have special needs that increase their vulnerability during a public health emergency.

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Why are they at increased risk?

1. Life circumstances (such as a lack of economic, cultural, or social resources) prevent many people from identifying opportunities for aid and from using available support services.

2. Vulnerability also results from the complex interactions of a person’s life challenges (e.g., functional limitations, health conditions) and environment.

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Examples

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

1. Disabled Populations, the Elderly, and Others with Functional Limitations

They are vulnerable because of a reduced ability to see, hear, speak and understand, remember, move or walk independently, respond quickly

2.Children

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

1.Children may be separated from caregivers, have difficulty understanding what is occurring, and may need more attention and explanation.

2. Emergency operations (e.g., shelters) may lack pediatric supplies to address the unique health needs of children.

3.Rural Populations

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

1. Standard resources and messages may not reach all people, as a result of the geographic dispersion and the low density population.

2. Rural populations have higher rates of other characteristics that contribute to vulnerability, including a high proportion of elderly, high poverty rates

4. Migrant Workers

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

1. They are at-risk becausethey encounter a number of difficulties simultaneously.

2. They are disproportionately represented among low socioeconomic status populations and the linguistically and culturally isolated.

CORE STRATEGIES TO ENHANCEEMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING AND RESPONSE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Strategy 1: Identify, Enumerate, and Locate Populations

1. The use of special mapping tools, for example GIS system to locate particular populations.

2. Engaging the assistance of local advocacy, service, and health care organizations that work with special needs populations.

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Strategy 2: Involve Members of Special Needs Populations in Planning

Individuals and organizations that represent special needspopulations can bring valuable resources to the planning process,

such as (1) knowledge and insights about the needs of their population; (2) insights into common concerns of individuals with special

needs(3) advice regarding the appropriate content and format of

preparedness materials and risk-communication messages and alerts; and

(4) awareness of equipment and supplies needed by responders and shelter providers

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Strategy 3: Involve the Community in Assisting Special Needs Populations

1. Develop and disseminate (e.g., through community-based newsletters, newspapers, radio) general-population messages encouraging community residents to identify their friends and neighbors who would need assistance in an emergency and help them to develop a preparedness plan

2. Encourage health care providers, NGOs, and businesses that provide goods and services to special needs populations to promote preparedness among their clients and patients

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Strategy 4: Coordinate Preparedness and Response Efforts with Relevant

Organizations

1. Establish a notification hotline to alert facilities to begin early evacuations

2. Include plans for transporting emergency supplies during evacuation

3. Plan for transportation of facility staff and truck rentals to get water, food, and medical supplies to facilities

4. Plan for including personal caregivers and essential family members when transporting individuals who are disabled, elderly, or have functional limitations.

First National Course on Public Health Emergency Management 12 – 23 March 2011. Muscat, Oman

Scenario on Oman(Group Discussion)

• When the Phet Cyclone hits Oman:1. Identify specific populations with special needs.2. What are the strategies you think would be essential to enhance

the preparedness and response for special needs of these populations?

• The Ship’s doctor has requested that two elderly passengers need hospital treatment and wants to transfer them to shore as they arrive.