(English captions by Trisha Paul, University of Michigan.)
Floods and Landslides.
Flash floods are usually of rapid onset either from rain or structural failure.
Brief duration, associated with steep terrains, or canyons, or valleys.
There is little or no warning, and mortality may be high.
River floods are usually slow onset but of long duration, associated with low lying, concave
terrains, especially with people settling in these areas, they usually provide some
warning.
Floods account for 40% of all world disasters, and cause the most damage worldwide.
These are the most lethal floods that have occurred in modern history.
In Uganda, as in other countries in Eastern Africa, floods are an emerging public health
problem.
Every year, floods affect more and more people in different localities.
They are closely associated with heavy rains, that is natural causes, and human settlement
patterns, technological causes.
An example of Uganda, floods occurred in Bududa, 2010, Butalejja, 2010, Kisoro, 2010, Soroti, 2007,
Kumi, 2007, and they occur in Kampala every year.
Landslides can be predicted and risk reduction and mitigation activities can be initiated.
Factors that contribute to floods include topographical makeup of the area, and then they
may accompany other disasters like heavy rains and river surges, breakdown of river embankments,
hurricane sea surges, earthquake-related tsunamis, landslides or volcanic eruptions.
Natural factors include geological factors, seasonal variations, climatic factors, and
topographical factors.
Human factors include urbanization, deforestation, over-grazing, improper construction, and inadequate
safeguards.
Most deaths occur in flash floods, and most deaths are due to drowning.
Death rates vary according to country, rate of onset and community resilience.
Public health impact of floods includes medical and public health needs that persist for many
months after the river floods, normal health care delivery may be disrupted, chronic illness
may be worsened in the long run.
However, serious infectious diseases are usually rare in flood and landslide situations.
Water and food shortages often develop.
Key health issues and safety response issues after floods include water quality, food safety,
cleanup activity and safety, sanitation and hygiene, disease vectors, chemical hazards, mental
health for responders and victims, temporary settlement, and early warning for subsequent
floods.
Outreach support after floods.
Not all victims can seek help.
They could be closed off due to geographical limits, monetary limits, or disability.
Prevent convergence on limited resources, set up search and rescue efforts, set up immediate
relief efforts, enhance surveillance and situational awareness.
Prevention and control measures for floods include mitigation, surveillance and early
warning, rapid needs assessment, mechanisms for search and rescue, mechanisms for immediate
control of water surges, public information, floodplain management, and responsible management
of human settlements.
Landslides.
In Uganda, as an example, landslides are a focal problem in areas that have topographic
risk.
Due to population pressures and land-use implications, people are moving higher and higher into high
risk areas.
Landslides can be predicted and risk reduction and mitigation activities can be initiated.
Secondary disaster can be caused by landslides and these include fires and explosions, building
collapse, dam failures and floods, and release of toxic materials.
Contributing natural factors include geophysical factors, topographic factors, and meteorological
factors.
Manmade factors include structural factors like types of houses, land-use patterns, demography,
and population pressures.
Health impacts of landslides may include minor injuries and lacerations, crush injuries to head
and chest, hemorrhage, bleeding, and hypovolemia, asphyxia, and drowning, and burns.
Delayed impacts include dehydration, environmental exposure, the crush syndrome in people who
are severely crushed, wound infection and sepsis, and smoke and dust inhalation.
Landslides do not often create significant outbreaks of new infectious diseases because
of the wash-out affect.
Prevention and control measures for landslides include avoiding construction in areas of
high geological risk, safer construction, drills, scenarios and planning in areas that
are landslide prone, planning for displaced populations, planning for emergency services,
and planning for search & rescue.
Saving lives.
Landslides have potential to cause Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs).
There is need for rapid assessment of impact, timely and appropriate disaster response, surveillance
for injuries and diseases, dissemination of public health information, environmental health
and control measures, and follow up epidemiology.