Preparing for the health effects of drought : a resource guide for public health professionals

cdc:5758North America has experienced drought cycles for the last 10,000 years, a trend that is expected to continue.[1] From 2000 to 2015, at least 20% of the United States was in drought, and in some of those years that increasedto as much as 70% according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.[2] During the latter part of 2012, more than half of the United States experienced moderate or worse drought.[2] This was the worst drought in the United States, measured by moderate to extreme drought coverage, since the 1950s.[3]For most of 2000 to 2016, the U.S. West endured the most persistent drought ever recorded.[4] California experienced its third driest year on record in 2014, resulting in more than 17,000 full- and part-time jobs lost and over $2 billion in damage, economic loss, and mitigation and recovery costs.[5]The public health effects of drought can be severe, but they are often hard to observe or measure directly.[6] They can include increases in vector-borne diseases and infections, poor air quality, and worsening of chronic illnesses and mental health conditions. The probability of drought-related health effects occurring varies widely and largely depends on drought severity, local population vulnerability, existing health infrastructure, and available resources to mitigate effects as they occur.[6] As a result, public health preparedness efforts may differ significantly for different communities.[7]In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published When Every Drop Counts:Protecting Public Health During Drought Conditions\u2014A Guide for Public Health Professionals (WEDC). WEDC advocated inclusion of public health in drought preparedness and response and highlighted the many potential effects of drought on human health.CDC developed this document, Preparing for the Health Effects of Drought: A Resource Guide for Public Health Professionals, to supplement WEDC. This resource guide is based on the results of a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with public health professionals, a review of state drought plans, and a literature review on the health effects of drought.Publication date from document properties.CDC_Drought_Resource_Guide-508.pdf201