(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.