A Hidden Epidemic: Assessing the Legal Environment Underlying Mental and Behavioral Health Conditions in Emergencies
Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law and Policy, Vol. 4:33, 2010
60 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2014
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
Public health emergencies and disasters are often defined by their impacts on human morbidity and mortality. The 2009/2010 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic has led to millions of human infections globally, and thousands of deaths among individuals, including children and young adults who do not typically succumb to seasonal influenza. The 2010 Haiti earthquake, one of the worst natural disasters in global history, resulted in over 230,000 deaths from the earthquake itself, with thousands of additional deaths among individuals waiting to be treated for their injuries, and a multitude of survivors facing disabling physical impairments. Additional natural disasters like the 2010 Chilean and Chinese earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. in 2005, and the Asian tsunamis in 2004 not only caused or contributed to significant morbidity and mortality, but also displaced hundreds of thousands, uprooting entire populations from economic and social centers. The catastrophic effects of these types of emergencies on the physical health and well-being of populations are a consistent focus of international, national, and regional emergency preparedness and response efforts.
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