Health aspects of humanitarian emergencies and disaster relief

Background: Health and medical issues are one of the most important aspects of disaster relief, as populations recovering from the aftermath of a disaster are extremely vulnerable from injuries and other health problems. Effective disaster management invariably involves complex health challenges and regional cooperation. Health Aspects of Disaster Cycle: The health aspects of a disaster are analysed according to the tools of the conventional disaster cycle to identify priority areas. Health challenges: Certain pertinent issues like, short and long term health burden, damage to health facilities and infrastructure and cost effectiveness of external aid are discussed which are outside the pale of the conventional disaster cycle approach. Salient features of disaster medicine: Quality control, epidemiological research, legal and ethical issues are crucial aspects of disaster medicine which need to be addressed. Regional cooperation: The role of regional cooperation to meet the health challenges should have a symbiotic approach