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Abstract
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Situated on the meeting point of the Indian sub-continent and mainland Asia, Nepal is very much an earthquake-prone country. Eight centuries ago the first recorded earthquake killed one-third of people living in Kathmandu Valley in 1255 and the country has suffered major earthquakes regularly since.
The recent two major earthquakes in April and May 2015 resulted in nearly 9,000 deaths and a further 23,300 injuries and these figure continue to rise [2]. This year nearly 594,000 homes were destroyed and another 280,000 damaged , 75% of which were private dwellings [1,3]. Consequently, over 8 million people, including 1.1 million children have been affected by this disaster [3], with14 district of central and western Nepal hit the hardest. In addition, there was widespread physical damage estimated to reach billions of dollars. Repairs are needed to infrastructure (e.g. roads and health posts) and services including public utilities (e.g. water, sewerage, and electricity). Recent damages have often been greatest in the more remote districts hindering relief and repair work locally. Millions of people are now homeless and living in the open, or in overcrowded shelters assembled for internally displaced people (IDP). A number of landslides triggered by rainfall on fragile landscapes have blocked the highways and disrupted transport, with some communities subjected to relocation.
The immediate impact of a disaster often requires emergency relief such as shelter, water supply, road networks, and services. However, in Public Health we are trained to think longer-term. The collapse of building providing health services during disasters and that of healthcare systems afterwards can have a prolonged impact on the health and well-being of affected communities.
Language: en |