COVID-19 has reinforced the need to revisit the integration of health within disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies for biological hazards in a system-wide approach. In November 2020, DRR experts attended the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction (APP-DRR) Forum to share progress and learnings in the areas of health system resilience, data management, residual risk management, risk communication, digital literacy, and knowledge product marketing. Advancements for health in DRR included the importance of multi-sectoral, multi-hazard action plans; adaptation to technological... read more

Background: Given the regular winter recurrence of influenza epidemics and the biologically plausible association between seasonal influenza and cardiovascular events, researchers assumed a valid and reliable influenza forecast could envision the timing and burden of winter surge in cardiovascular (CVD) hospitalizations. This, however, is well justified only in temperate regions. In this study, we aim to investigate the temporal association between ambient temperature, seasonal influenza and risk of cardiovascular events in a subtropical city.

The editorial on complete protection for healthcare workers (HCW) resonated with Liu and colleagues’ study and re-emphasized the effectiveness of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) on protecting frontline healthcare workers during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. We applaud the authors’ well-articulated arguments on defining the “appropriateness” of PPE based on evidence rather than irrational fears; yet, as we learned from the local experience in Hong Kong, especially those from the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak, appropriate PPE is only one of the few factors that could help protect HCWs.

(1) Background: The adverse health effect associated with extreme temperature has been extensively reported in the current literature. Some also found that temperature effect may vary among the population with different socioeconomic status (SES), but found inconsistent results. Previous studies on the socioeconomic vulnerability of temperature effect were mainly achieved by multi-city or country analysis, but the large heterogeneity between cities may introduce additional bias to the estimation. The linkage between death registry and census in Hong Kong allows us to perform a city-wide... read more

Background: In response to population aging, there is a need for health systems to focus on care for chronic disease, specifically palliative care, while focusing on people-centered care. The objective of this study is to explore the healthcare system enablers and barriers to the provision of quality palliative and end-of-life care from the perspective of healthcare professionals. Materials and Methods: Using purposive sampling, fifteen focus group interviews and nine individual interviews involving 72 healthcare providers were conducted. Primary qualitative data were collected between May... read more

Background: Maintaining health of healthcare workers with vaccination is a major component of pandemic preparedness and acceptance of vaccinations is essential to its success. This study aimed to examine impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on change of influenza vaccination acceptance and identify factors associated with acceptance of potential COVID-19 vaccination.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about several features that increased the sense of fear and confusion, such as quarantine and financial losses among other stressors, which may have led to adverse psychosocial outcomes. The influence of such stressors took place within a broader sociocultural context that needs to be considered. The objective was to examine how the psychological response to the pandemic varied across countries and identify which risk/protective factors contributed to this response. An online survey was conducted from 29 May 2020–12 June 2020,... read more

This article summarizes the proceedings of the four-session meeting (webinar) conducted by the Alliance of International Science Organizations on Disaster Risk Reduction (ANSO-DRR) on 18 May 2020. ANSO-DRR is an international, nonprofit and nongovernmental scientific alliance bringing together academies of science, research organizations and universities which share a strong interest in disaster risk reduction in the regions along the land-based and maritime routes of the Belt and Road Initiative. ANSO-DRR convenes an annual meeting to review its work progress and discuss its scientific... read more

An Ebola virus outbreak taking place in the complex political and social context of The Democratic Republic of the Congo has forced the research community to reflect on their approach to community engagement. Katharine Wright and Michael Parker, on behalf of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics Working Group on research in global health emergencies, say that those affected need to influence research choices from the very beginning and that the value of their knowledge must be recognized.

The WHO Thematic Platform for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Research Network (TPRN) was established in 2016 in response to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015⁻2030. The TPRN facilitates global collaborative action for improving the scientific evidence base in health emergency and disaster risk management (Health EDRM). In 2018, the WHO convened a meeting to identify key research questions, bringing together leading experts from WHO, TPRN, World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and... read more

Food safety and unhealthy dietary pattern are important global health problems. Understanding food-related health needs and providing corresponding support are important to health risk reduction. A needs assessment, education intervention for food labelling, and another intervention for salt-intake reduction were conducted in a rural Kunge community in Yunnan, China in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Not checking the expiry date of packaged food (37.1%) and a high salt diet (53.9%) were the most common problems in the community. Both topics were selected for education intervention. Pre... read more

OBJECTIVE:

The effects of high temperature on existing allergic conditions are unclear. This study explored the prevalence of allergic symptoms and the effects of high temperature on existing allergic symptoms among an adult population. The effects of high temperature on other non-allergic health outcomes were compared between adults with and without a history of allergic symptoms.

METHOD:

A cross-sectional telephone survey study was conducted in Hong Kong two weeks after a heat wave in 2017. Socio-demographic information, history of allergic symptoms, non-allergic... read more

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major driver of climatic variability that can have far reaching consequences for public health globally. We explored whether global, regional and country-level rates of people affected by natural disasters (PAD) are linked to ENSO. Annual numbers of PAD between 1964-2017 recorded on the EM-DAT disaster database were combined with UN population data to create PAD rates. Time-series regression was used to assess de-trended associations between PAD and 2 ENSO indices: Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) and multivariate El Niño Index (MEI). Over 95% of PAD... read more

Background

The post-disaster mental health crisis intervention (MHCI) system in China remains immature and unsystematic. We aim to report the perceptions of a large sample of MHCI workers and government administrators and provide recommendations for developing a national mental health disaster response management plan in China.

Methods

An in-depth qualitative study was conducted, collecting data from 20 focus-group discussions and 25 key stakeholder interviews. These recruited participants who had been involved in different types of disaster rescue across 7 provinces/... read more

Heated debates over the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 introduced by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government have led to numerous public marches and demonstrations since June 9, 2019.

Despite the importance of health vulnerability in disaster risk assessment, most of the existing disaster vulnerability indicators only emphasize economic and social vulnerability. Important underlying health risks such as non-communicable disease are not included in vulnerability measures. A three-phase methodology approach was used to construct a disaster risk model that includes a number of key health indicators which might be missing in global disaster risk analysis. This study describes the development of an integrated health vulnerability index and explains how the proposed... read more

OBJECTIVES:

Asthma can be triggered by various factors due to different etiologies. Environmental factors remain a common trigger of asthma, especially amongst children, and such ambient exposures can be harder to avoid compared to behavioral triggers. As such, the contribution of environmental factors may be enhanced when considering repeat asthma cases compared to initial presentations. To test this hypothesis, we assessed associations between ambient temperature and hospital admissions for asthma in Hong Kong and stratified admission records into first and repeat asthma... read more

Rural populations living in poverty are the most vulnerable to disaster. Despite this increased risk of recurrent disaster, previous disaster experience is not a good predictor for disaster preparedness in these populations. This was evidenced on 31 August 2012, when a major flood occurred in Sichuan, China. A health needs assessment carried out in December 2012 showed that residents of Hongyan village, a Yi-minority community in Sichuan lacked disaster preparedness. This indicated that measures were necessary to improve Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM) in the... read more

Fire is one of the major disasters in rural communities but evidence of the effectiveness of education interventions against fire risks is limited. This was a 2-year study assessed the effectiveness of face-to-face Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM) education interventions for raising fire risk reduction knowledge in a fire-prone rural ethnic minority community. The study was conducted in various pre-set time points of an intervention-based project in a Dong-based community in Nanjiang Village, Guizhou Province in 2015 and 2016 to increase knowledge among the... read more

OBJECTIVE:

Restrictive food avoidance behavior among Chinese cancer patients is common. Yet, to the authors' knowledge, no study has investigated factors associated with such behavior. This study attempted to validate a new measurement tool, the Cancer Patients Food Avoidance Behaviors Scale (CPFAB), that assessed cancer patients' belief regarding 5 perceived benefits of practicing food avoidance, and to test its applicability.

DESIGN:

Cross-sectional face-to-face interviews.

SETTING:

Two outpatient oncology clinics in 2 different districts of Hong Kong... read more

Ma’an Qiao Village, a Dai and Yi ethnic minority-based community in Sichuan Province, China sustained complete infrastructure devastation during the 2008 Panzhihua earthquake. Health emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) education intervention programs were implemented in 2010 and 2011. This serial cross-sectional survey study aimed to examine the immediate and long-term impacts of the Health-EDRM interventions in this remote rural community. The findings demonstrate knowledge improvement in areas of water and sanitation, food and nutrition, and disaster preparedness... read more

Objectives: Accidental risks perception, knowledge and willingness to learn about emergency responses are critical elements in disaster risk reduction. Literature on the relevant topics for public transport safety is limited. The three main study objectives include exploring i) relationship between socio-demographic characteristics with risk perception and anxiety of users of urban public transport system, ii) if a major emergency incident affected confidence and increase anxiety of public transport utilization and iii) how previous first aid training might be associated with response... read more

Introduction: Menstrual health is a sensitive topic that causes gender discrimination and segregation. A focus group conducted in Sindupalchok, Nepal (April 2017) found some women had major knowledge gaps and misconceptions regarding menstrual hygiene practices. Objective: To assess programme effectiveness for addressing menstrual health knowledge gap, promote menstrual hygiene practice, and pain relief. Method: A 3 day health education intervention was conducted in January 2018. Knowledge about the menstruation cycle and period, menstruation-related hygiene practices, and pain alleviation... read more

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly remains a challenge in intermediate disease burden areas like Hong Kong. Given a higher TB burden in the elderly and limited impact of current case-finding strategy by patient-initiated pathway, proactive screening approaches for the high-risk group could be optimal and increasingly need targeted economic evaluations. In this study, we examined whether and under what circumstance the screening strategies are cost-effective compared with no screening strategy for the elderly at admission to residential care homes.

Methods

Objective How high temperature affects existing allergic conditions are unclear. This study examines the effects of high temperature on Hong Kong adult populations who have existing allergic symptoms. To explore the health outcomes of non-allergic symptoms, comparison was explored between adults with and without a history of allergic symptoms. Method Two week aster a health wave in 2017, a cross-sectional telephone survey study was conducted in Hong Kong. Socio-demographic information, history of allergic symptoms, non-allergic health symptoms, and self-reported changes of allergic... read more

Ma’an Qiao Village, a Dai and Yi ethnic minority-based community in Sichuan Province, China sustained complete infrastructure devastation during the 2008 Panzhihua earthquake. Health emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) education intervention programs were implemented in 2010 and 2011. This serial cross-sectional survey study aimed to examine the immediate and long-term impacts of the Health-EDRM interventions in this remote rural community. The findings demonstrate knowledge improvement in areas of water and sanitation, food and nutrition, and disaster preparedness... read more

Objective: To understand the community‘s response to hot weather in terms of risk perception, awareness of warning signal and personal protective measure taken for heat planning suggestions. Method: A telephone survey was conducted 2 weeks after a heatwave in Hong Kong, August 2017, and 436 respondent (≥15 years) were included. Respondents were the follow-up sample of a previous cold wave study. Sociodemographic characteristics, risk perception, awareness of the issue of Very-Hot-Weather Warning and the uptake of personal protective measure during study during the study period were... read more

Background/Aim: As numerous climate change mitigation measures promote health as well as environmental benefits, it is imperative to assess their uptake in communities. A previous study in Hong Kong showed women and older people practiced health and environmental co-benefit behaviours more frequently. However, the attitude and awareness behind those behaviours have not been explored. This study examines the patterns and predictors among dietary-related co-benefit behaviours. Methods: We conducted a population-based random-digit dialling telephone survey for n=1000 Hong Kong residents in... read more

Background: Extreme temperatures are increasing due to climate change, however research of their impacts on health behaviour are rare. While cold winter temperatures have been identified as a barrier to physical activity, an increase of extremely hot temperatures due to climate change may also potentially affect frequency of physical activity. This study aims to estimate the change of self-reported frequency of outdoor physical activity (PA) during cold and heat waves in a sub-tropical urban population and identify its predictors. Methods: A prospective population-based cohort telephone... read more

Disasters occur almost daily in the world. Because emergencies frequently have no precedent, are highly uncertain, and can be very destructive, improving a country's resilience is an efficient way to reduce risk. In this article, we collected more than 20,000 historical data points from disasters from 207 countries to enable us to calculate the severity of disasters and the danger they pose to countries. In addition, 6 primary indices (disaster, personal attribute, infrastructure, economics, education, and occupation) including 38 secondary influencing factors are considered in analyzing... read more

Remote, rural ethnic-minority communities face greater disaster-related public health risks due to their lack of resources and limited access to health care. The Ethnic Minority Health Project (EMHP) was initiated in 2009 to work with remote, disaster-prone ethnic-minority villages that live in extreme poverty. One of the project’s aims is to develop and evaluate bottom-up health risk reduction efforts in emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM). This article shares project updates and describes field intervention results from the Yi ethnic community of Hongyan village in China... read more

Health and disaster risk reduction are important and necessary components in building a smart city, especially when climate change may increase the frequency of extreme temperatures and the health risks of urban dwellers. However, limited knowledge is available about the best way to disseminate weather warnings and health protection information. This study explores the weather information acquisition patterns of the Hong Kong public and examines the sociodemographic predictors of these patterns to establish the potential public health implications of smart city development. A population-... read more

In recent years, “health” has been recognized explicitly as both a determinant and an outcome of the human dimension of disaster risk reduction (DRR). Every disaster creates significant public health needs that can exceed local capacity to respond, resulting in excess mortality and morbidity. The European Union report on Science for Disaster Risk Management 2017: Knowing Better and Losing Less recommended that health sciences should be more involved in the community of disaster risk management to advance our understanding of outbreaks and pandemics and the health impacts of all... read more

There is an important opportunity to build coherence across different policy areas with the 2015–16 adoption of four landmark UN agreements—the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III). Ensuring that health is at the heart of the Sendai Framework is crucial. The 2030 targets of the Sendai Framework call for substantial global reductions in disaster-related mortality, number of affected people, direct economic loss, and damage to critical infrastructure (panel).

Objective
This study aims to examine the patterns and socio-demographic predictors of health and environmental co-benefit behaviours that support climate change mitigation in a densely populated Asian metropolis—Hong Kong.

Methods
A population-based, stratified and cross-sectional random digit dialling telephone survey study was conducted between January and February 2016, among the Cantonese-speaking population aged 15 and above in Hong Kong. Socio-demographic data and the self-reported practice of 10 different co-benefit behaviours... read more

Objectives

To investigate specific challenges to Hong Kong’s capacity for effective disaster response, we assessed perceived barriers to evacuation and citizens’ self-efficacy.

Methods

Global positioning system software was used to determine random sampling locations across Hong Kong, weighted by population density. The resulting sample of 1023 participants (46.5% female, mean age 40.74 years) were invited to complete questionnaires on emergency preparedness, barriers to evacuation and self-efficacy. Latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used... read more

Study/Objective: To reveal the spatial and temporal pattern of student enrolment in the Public Health Principles in Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response ﴾PHPID﴿ massive open online course ﴾MOOC﴿ and to examine the degree to which socio‐demographic variables can predict the course achievement. Background: The first cohort of PHPID online course was launched by Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response in June 2014. This online course aims to enable students to gain insight and theoretical understanding of the public health... read more

The wars in the Middle East have led to unprecedented threats and attacks on patients, healthcare workers, and purposeful targeting of hospitals and medical facilities. It is crucial that every healthcare provider, both civilian and military, on either side of the conflict become aware of the unique and inherent protections afforded to them under International Humanitarian Law. However, these protections come with obligations. Whereas Governments must guarantee these protections, when violated, medical providers have equal duty and obligations under the Law to ensure that they will neither... read more

Objectives: The impacts of climate change are known to be human health threats. In recent years, there are increasing advocacy to the promotion of behaviors that might reduce human carbon footprint and can provide benefits for individuals' health outcomes. This study aims to assess the patterns, knowledge and socio-economic predictors of these health and environmental co-behaviors (HEC) in urban Asia metropolis such as Hong Kong. Methods: A cross-sectional, randomized population-based telephone survey study was conducted among Hong Kong Cantonese-speaking population aged over 15 years... read more

Background A sound understanding of malaria transmission patterns in the People’s Republic of China (P.R. China) is crucial for designing effective surveillance-response strategies that can guide the national malaria elimination programme (NMEP). Using an established biology-driven model, it is expected that one may design and refine appropriate surveillance-response strategies for different transmission zones, which, in turn, assist the NMEP in the ongoing implementation period (2010–2020) and, potentially, in the post-elimination stage (2020–2050). Methods Environmental data obtained... read more

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found associations between meteorological variables and asthma hospitalisations but the nature of these associations has varied and few studies have been done in subtropical areas or evaluated effect modification by age. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate associations between asthma hospitalisations and meteorological factors and to assess effect modification of these associations by age and season in Hong Kong. METHODS: Poisson generalised additive models combined with distributed lag nonlinear models and piecewise linear models were used to model... read more

Objectives: There is limited evidence on urban Asian communities’ disaster risk perceptions and household level preparedness. Hong Kong is characterized by high population density, and is susceptible to large-scale natural disasters and health crises such as typhoons, fires and infectious disease outbreaks. This research paper investigates the rates and predictors of urban community disaster risk perception, awareness and preparedness, at individual and household levels. Methods: A randomized cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey study was conducted among the Cantonese-... read more

At the first gathering of its kind on the role of science in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, over 750 scientists, policymakers, business people, and practitioners met in Geneva from January 27–29, 2016. The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 featured experts from some of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

Cruise tourism has become more popular. Long-term personal contact, complex population flows, a lack of medical care facilities, and defective infrastructure aboard most cruise ships is likely to result in the ship becoming an incubator for infectious diseases. In this paper, we use a cruise ship as a research scenario. Taking into consideration personal behavior, the nature and transfer route of the virus across different surfaces, virus reproduction, and disinfection, we studied contact infection of infectious disease on a cruise ship. Using gastroenteritis caused by the norovirus as an... read more

“Health” is mentioned 76 times in the Sendai Framework, listed repeatedly alongside economic, social, cultural and environmental components adversely affected by disasters. The Sendai Framework also advocates an inclusive and multi-stakeholder approach; recognising the need to mobilise research and scientific institutions in particular toward reducing disaster risk and building resilience. The Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) is a Hong Kong-based non-profit academic centre which uses a public health approach to carry... read more

Study/Objective The goal of this study is to define the concept of disaster health risk literacy, identify the gaps in knowledge, and highlight implications for the use of disaster health risk literacy as a term to guide future preparedness efforts and research. Background The existing literature defined health literacy as the ability to obtain, understand and use the health related information to make the appropriate health decision and follow the health advise. This concept is particular important to the disasterprone communities, because it is hypothesized that disaster risk literacy... read more

BACKGROUND Since SARS epidemic in 2003, Hong Kong has experienced several major epidemic risks, but how general community might react to the repeated infectious diseases health risks have not been studied. In 2013, imported human H7N9 influenza infected cases from China were reported. Our study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) concerning A/H7N9 among Hong Kong general population regarding pandemic preparedness in early 2014. METHODS A cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey study was conducted among the Cantonese-speaking population aged over 15 years in... read more

Accidental industrial disasters are often associated with illegal and unethical industrial and commercial practices. A warehouse explosion on Aug 12, 2015, in Tianjin, a major port city in China, caused 158 deaths and 698 hospital admissions. Post-disaster investigations at the explosion site reported illegal storage of dangerous chemical substances comprising 1300 tonnes of oxide and nitrate compounds (mainly potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate), 500 tonnes of flammable materials (consisting of metallic sodium and magnesium), and 700 tonnes of highly toxic substances (mainly sodium... read more

Introduction: In 2011, north-eastern Japan was struck by ‘a triple disaster’ with a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear plants meltdown that caused nearly 20,000 deaths. Despite of the pre-event community disaster preparedness and drills, mortalities vary among disaster affected schools. This qualitative case study aims to identify factors that were associated with positive health outcomes.

Study Objectives To assess the effectiveness of using train-the-trainer approach, framed with social-cognitive perspective, to enhance participants’ self-efficacy in planning disaster-related projects in Chinese rural communities.

Study/Objective To equip the villagers living with NCDs (NCD villagers) with adequate health risk literacy for managing their diseases in times of disasters in rural China. Background NCDs are prevalent in China, including rural villages. These villagers may not have adequate health risk literacy for managing their NCDs when disaster comes. As such, packing an easytomake emergency rescue bag, inclusive of adequate medication for disasters, can be an important means for disaster risk management. Particular focus on addressing disease management when the supply of medication is interrupted... read more

Study/Objective To enhance boarding school teachers' health literacy in disaster risks in disasterprone area in China. Background Yushu in Qinghai Province of China has suffered from a massive earthquake in 2010 and disaster preparedness has yet been emphasised in schools since then. As such, school children will be destined to severely suffer when the next disaster comes. Given a high altitude on high mountains, students usually live in dormitories. Teachers are the most important health promoters in this boarding school setting. However, teachers are equipped with respect to disaster... read more

Background: The increasing human H7N9 influenza A infection confirmed cases in China since 2013 has attracted global attention. Disease surveillance helps situation awareness for policy makers making appropriate public health decisions. These systems need to be consulted and evaluated before implementation to achieve their maximum efficiencies. In this study, we aim to identify suitable channels for community disease surveillance and risk communication among different strata of an urban Chinese community. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey study (n=1,000) was... read more

Disaster preparedness is an important preventive strategy for protecting health and mitigating adverse health effects of unforeseen disasters. A multi-site based ethnic minority project (2009-2015) is set up to examine health and disaster preparedness related issues in remote, rural, disaster prone communities in China. The primary objective of this reported study is to examine if previous disaster experience significantly increases household disaster preparedness levels in remote villages in China. A cross-sectional, household survey was conducted in January 2011 in Gansu Province, in a... read more

Background Physical activity (PA) and hypertension (HTN) are important influences on the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the joint impact of PA and HTN on T2D development is unknown. Methods Two community-based prospective cohort studies, with the same protocols, instruments and questionnaires, were conducted among adults in urban areas of Nanjing, China, during 2004–2007 and 2007–2010. T2D was defined using World Health Organization criteria based on physicians' diagnosis and fasting blood glucose concentration. PA level (sufficient/insufficient) and blood pressure status (... read more

Four levels of pre-travel health preparations were defined to allow the measurement of general travel health preparations by the traveling public. A cross-sectional survey of 770 travelers using Hong Kong International Airport was conducted. Important gaps were found in the self-preparation domain. Length of travel was the only factor associated with higher levels of health preparations after adjusting for potential confounders. Targeted health education should be considered to improve health risk perceptions among travelers in Hong Kong and other similar metropolitan cities that are... read more

Introduction: Heatwaves have a clear impact on society, including a rise in mortality and morbidity. The aim of fans in a heatwave is to increase heat loss by increasing efficiency of all normal methods of heat loss – but particularly by evaporation and convection methods. There has been little comparative, intervention research on the physiological effects of electric fans. A Cochrane systematic review was undertaken to determine whether the use of electric fans contributes or impedes heat loss at high ambient temperatures. Results would have implications for policies such as the Heatwave... read more

Introduction: A major flood occurred in Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture on 31st August 2012. The disaster has caused massive damage to the local community. Liangshan Prefecture has the largest population of Yi minority in China, and ethnic minority groups like Yi generally attain lower educational and economical status than the Han counterparts. Limited is known in regarding its health impact and post disaster response, this paper described and examined the impact and the community preparedness in the recent forgotten disaster. Methodology: A cross sectional household survey was conducted... read more

Little is known about the health impact of air pollution on children's cardiovascular health. A cross-sectional study was conducted and data was analysed in 2048 Chinese schoolchildren (aged 8–10 years) in three districts of Hong Kong to examine the association between exposure to outdoor air pollution and cardiorespiratory fitness. Annual means of ambient PM10, SO2, NO2 and O3 from 1996 to 2003 were used to estimate individual exposure of the subjects. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), predicted by the multistage fitness test (MFT). Height and... read more

BACKGROUND: In-flight medical emergencies are difficult to manage and medical volunteers can be valuable when these events occur. The study objective was to examine the role of medical volunteers in medical emergencies which resulted in medical flight diversions. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of medical diversions in a large Hong Kong commercial airline from December 2003 to November 2008. This study is derived from a database of in-flight medical events which has been previously reported. The presence of medical volunteers, the need for diversion, and the outcome for all... read more

Background Medical teams might have difficulties preparing for deployment to rural towns due to a lack of prior information. The study objective was to identify the health needs and chronic disease prevalence of rural Chinese following a major earthquake. Methods Hong Kong Red Cross organised a basic healthcare team to Yanmen town, Jiangyou 3 weeks after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. A cross-sectional records-based study of all patients treated by the Hong Kong Red Cross basic healthcare team from 1 June to 19 June 2008 was conducted. Results Two thousand and thirty-four individual patient... read more

BACKGROUND: Several previous studies examined the association between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) incidence and temperature and/or air pollution. Results of these studies have been inconsistent and few studies have been done in cities with sub-tropical or tropical climates. METHODS: Daily data on AMI hospitalizations, mean temperature and humidity, and pollutants, were collected for 2000-2009 for three warm-climate Asian cities. Poisson Generalized Additive Models were used to regress daily AMI counts on temperature, humidity, and pollutants while controlling for day of the week,... read more

研究证实受灾地区的当地居民是发生灾害时能够最早做出反应的潜在救援力量，可以在黄金时间内施以救助，从而有效地降低灾害招致的人员伤亡。因次，在易受灾灾区对当地居民进行普及教育，提供与灾害救援有关的基本知识和技能，可以最大的发挥这一潜力。Angus在1993年提出“八项急救的基本步骤”的建议，以期达到在社区居民中有效普及灾难教育的目的。以Angus的建议为框架，以5•12汶川大地震为例，本文总结了汶川大地震的经验和教训，探讨了社区健康工作者在灾害发生时应当扮演的角色，从而尽可能地降低灾害对人类生命和健康的影响。

A deeper understanding of extreme hot weather are needed in cities sensitive to heat effects, an investigation was done in the tropical town of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Its 11 districts were divided into three climatic classes varying from high urban heat, low levels of green space and lack of proximity to water bodies to low urban heat, adequate green space and proximity to water bodies. Daily data on natural mortality, meteorological variables, and pollutants from May-October 1999-2008 were analysed using generalised additive models for the time-series data.

We read with interest the recent Editorial on improving the health response to humanitarian crises (June 1, p 1878). Communities worldwide face increasing threats from a myriad of hazards, so evidence-based advancements in humanitarian assistance are welcomed......

Emergency first responders, including fire fighters, police, auxiliary medical personnel, ambulance officers and rescuers, are often the first to the front line in a disaster witnessing the traumatic scene and experiencing life threatening situations. Whilst responders have to face direct exposure to the intensity of the disaster and may suffer from psychological reactions for overly prolonged time periods, the current crisis intervention protocols after natural or man-made disasters often neglect the psychological impact of crisis on responders. Psychological First Aid (PFA) has become... read more

Background Current measures for breast cancer prevention and options for treatment adopted in Hong Kong are mainly based on research data and clinical evidence from overseas. It is essential to establish a cancer-specific registry to monitor the status of breast cancer in Hong Kong. Objectives We summarized the current status of breast cancer in Hong Kong based on the data collected from Hong Kong Breast Cancer Registry (HKBCR). Methods Prevalent and newly diagnosed breast cancers (including in situ and invasive breast cancers) were registered in the HKBCR. Information on patient... read more

Background and Objectives Datan Village, which locates in Gansu Province, China, is a rural, remote, disaster-prone, in poverty Hui minority-based community. Disaster preparedness was identified to be one of the concerns from the health needs assessment conducted in August 2010. Health education campaign was implemented in January 2011 to enhance their awareness towards the issue. Research Objectives To enhance knowledge towards disaster preparedness though Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) model To document the outcome of the health intervention via questionnaires To identify the... read more

Background: Whilst Asia is ranked as the most disaster prone region of the world in both natural and man-made disasters, research in the Asia-Pacific region is limited. This study is part of a 24 months, multi-country, multidisciplinary partner based project that aims to develop a series of disaster medical and public health case study in the Asia pacific region. Using an internationally standardized disaster incident reporting template developed of WADEM (2010), this specific project aims to delineate and to critically evaluate the health implications of a fire disaster in Bhutan that... read more

Background Natural disasters are increasing in incidence and severity in recent decades and have brought adverse consequences to human and the economy. Relief workers will get involved in more traumatic situations which expose them to stress that in turn, affect workers' emotion well-being and their physical health. However, only limited literatures documented the health-related impacts of natural disasters on medical/healthcare relief workers. This review aims to analyse different health outcomes of medical/healthcare disaster relief workers in natural disaster settings. Methods A... read more

BACKGROUND Prior studies from around the world have indicated that very high temperatures tend to increase summertime mortality. However possible effect modification by urban micro heat islands has only been examined by a few studies in North America and Europe. This study examined whether daily mortality in micro heat island areas of Hong Kong was more sensitive to short term changes in meteorological conditions than in other areas. METHOD An urban heat island index (UHII) was calculated for each of Hong Kong's 248 geographical tertiary planning units (TPU). Daily counts of all natural... read more

BACKGROUND: Hong Kong, a major city in China, has one of the world's highest income inequalities and one of the world's highest average increases in urban ambient temperatures. Heat-related mortality in urban areas may vary with acclimatisation and population characteristics. This study examines how the effect of temperature on mortality is associated with sociodemographic characteristics at an intracity level in Hong Kong, China, during the warm season. METHODS: Data from the Hong Kong Observatory, Census and Statistics Department, Environmental Protection Department and government... read more

Objective: Little is known about the epidemiology of unintentional household injury (UHI) among children with intellectual disability (ID). This study aimed to investigate the incidence rate and pattern of UHI and potential risk factors among children with ID. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students in two mainstream and three special primary schools in Hong Kong. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information about children’s injury in the past 12 months, as well as other potential risk factors, including socio-demographic and household... read more

China has one of the countries with highest occurrence of disasters and disasters are disproportionately affecting rural area of China where ethnic minorities are inhibiting. Mixed methods of studies were conducted in rural Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Hainan province of China to understand the mental health impact and coping after natural disasters. Standardized quantitative questionnaires and over 20 focus groups were conducted among ethnic minority groups including Tai, Naxi, Li, Jiang and Hui affected by earthquake, flooding, mudslide, rain storm and snow storm. Validated psychological... read more

Limited research has been conducted to understand the relationship between heat wave warnings with public awareness and behavioral changes in the Asian population. The Hong Kong Observatory introduced the “very hot weather warning” in 2000 to alert the public of heatstroke and sunburn in Hong Kong. However, the population's behavioral responses to these weather alerts is unclear. Moreover, the relationship between perceived health risks and behavioral changes has not been examined. The goal of this study is to examine the health risk perceptions and behavioral changes following public heat... read more

Background: The Sichuan earthquake on 12 May 2008 with a magnitude of 8.0 killed > 87,000 people. The response of the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) included a basic healthcare team to a small rural town called Yanmen three weeks after the earthquake. The objective of this study was to review HKRC’s medical records to identify the disease pattern in the Chinese rural setting post earthquake. Methods: A cross-sectional, record-based study of all patients treated by the HKRC basic healthcare team from 01 June to 19 June 2008. This retrospective study studied the medical records collected... read more

Limited information is available on the health outcomes of the rural older population in developing countries is affected by disasters. In October 2010, Hainan Province experienced severe flooding following heavy rains. Nearly four million people were affected and many had undergone resettlement. This study investigated the impacts of the flooding on people living in the disaster-affected rural communities. The findings were compared with baseline information collected in 2010 about health issues in rural villages in Hainan. Health outcome comparisons also were made between ethnic groups (... read more

The negative impact of extreme temperatures on health is well-established. Individual help-seeking behavior, however, may mitigate the extent of morbidity and mortality during elevated temperatures. This study examines individual help-seeking behavior during periods of elevated temperatures among a Chinese population. Help-seeking patterns and factors that influence behavior will be identified so that vulnerable subgroups may be targeted for health protection during heat crises. A retrospective time-series Poisson generalized additive model analysis, using meteorological data of Hong Kong... read more

Knowledge about disasters plays an essential role in managing and responding to disasters and emergencies, especially among a group of health care professionals who are actively or will potentially be involved in disaster and emergency settings. A set of training materials that aims to enhance understanding of disasters and their impact of health has been developed. This project aims to examine the effectiveness of the disaster knowledge training to improve technical knowledge and perceptions of health impact of disasters in health care professionals and responders. “Understanding... read more

Few studies have focused on chronic health needs immediately after natural disasters in middle-income countries. This study examines chronic medical needs during the acute phase after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in an emergency triage clinic in Sichuan, China. Information on physical, social, and public health preparedness was collected in predesigned templates. Descriptive and Pearson's chi association analyses were conducted. One hundred and eighty-two evacuees were received at the triage site. Of these, 54% required trauma treatment... read more

OBJECTIVES: No published study, to date, has examined the characteristics and health outcomes of natural disaster-affected populations in unofficial rural self-settled internally displaced camps. By examining resident profiles in various unofficial rural displaced settlements after the 2005 Kashmir, Pakistan earthquake, this study aims to (i) describe the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of residents, (ii) compare their health outcomes with those of residents in official displaced camps, and (iii) highlight health needs and discuss implications for future disaster health... read more

BACKGROUND: Over the last 100 years, China has experienced the world's three most fatal earthquakes. The Sichuan Earthquake in May 2008 once again reminded us of the huge human toll geological disaster can lead to. METHODS: In order to learn lessons about the impact of earthquakes on health in China during the past century, we conducted a bilingual literature search of the publicly available health-related disaster databases published between 1906 and 2007. RESULTS: Our search found that research was limited and there were major gaps in the published literature about the impact on health... read more

Five of the world's most fatal industrial accidents in the past decade (2001–10) occurred in mainland China. Since 1979, there have been at least 25 586 deaths and 24 214 injuries due to technological disasters in China. Mining-related accidents are the main subgroup of such disasters and occur ten times more frequently than in India, which ranks second in the world. The recent Shanxi Wangjialing coal-mine accident, which resulted in 36 deaths and 115 survivors rescued after being trapped underground for 8 days, reminded the international community once again of the struggle between... read more

Injury is a major global disease burden for the twenty-first century. There are, however, few studies of unintentional household injury in Asian urban settings where living environments are characterized by extremely compact, high-living-density, multistory apartments. This study investigated the association between nonfatal unintentional household injuries with the resident's sociodemographic attributes and household characteristics in Hong Kong, the city with the world's highest population density. A cross-sectional retrospective recall study was conducted in May 2007 using a random... read more

Although older people may be recognized as a vulnerable group post-natural disasters, their particular needs are rarely met by the providers of emergency services. Studies about older people's health needs post disasters in the South East Asia Tsunami, Kashmir, Pakistan, China, and United States has revealed the lack of concern for older people's health needs. Recent study of older people's health needs post the Kashmir Pakistan earthquake (2005) found older peoples' health needs were masked within the general population. This survey study examines the providers' perceptions of older... read more

Introduction: On 08 October 2005, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck Pakistan's autonomous state of Kashmir and part of Indian-administrated Kashmir. The official death toll in Pakistan was 79,000, and nearly 1,400 in Kashmir. This study reports the findings of a three-week health needs assessment to understand the needs of rural, older people postearthquake. This study was conducted in February 2006 in the Neelum Valley of Kashmir, Pakistan, four months after the earthquake. Hypothesis: During emergency relief, the vulnerability and health needs of older people in... read more

Background: Under the "two countries, one system" policy implemented by China to manage the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty, Hong Kong has maintained a comparatively prosperous economy within the Asian region. This has resulted in an environment which fosters migration from the mainland to Hong Kong, due largely to proximity, higher earning potential, common language, and a relaxing of border control measures. However not all mainland China citizens are equally able to access these new migration schemes and indeed a number of women such as sex workers are either migrating and/or working... read more

Natural disasters always cause vast mortality and morbidity......

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity pose a challenge to public health in China. According to Chinese definition, 303 million Chinese are overweight (body mass index, BMI >or= 24 kg m(-2)). Among them, 73 million are clinically obese (BMI >or= 28 kg m(-2)). In line with the global trend, the rate of obesity in China continues to increase, with associated morbidity and mortality. This study was to identify interventions, which are effective in Mainland Chinese society. METHODS: All non-drug-controlled interventions (>or=3 months) in Mainland China, which used anthropometric outcome... read more

Child public health is described by Kohler as “ …the organised efforts of society to develop healthy public health policies to promote child and young people’s health, to prevent disease in children and young people and to foster equity for children and young people, within a framework of sustainable development”. China has the second largest population under the age of 5 in the world and faces complex challenges resulting from legislation, such as the one child policy, as well as the problem of increasing inequity, as demonstrated by trends in infant mortality in urban and rural China.... read more

Although natural disasters may cause massive loss of human life and destruction of resources, they also present affected populations with a rare opportunity to access external resources. Nevertheless, many post-disaster medical relief intervention programmes only focus on the provision of acute medical services and the control of communicable diseases. Currently, no specific study has examined why chronic medical needs seem to be insufficiently addressed in disaster relief interventions. This paper review current knowledge about how natural disasters affect people with chronic medical... read more