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Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Hazards and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 12308

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tatsuhiko Kubo

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Guest Editor

Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Interests: emergency medical team; disaster occupational health; surveillance in post-extreme emergencies and disasters—Japan Version (J-SPEED); WHO Emergency Medical Team Minimum Data Set (MDS); health-EDRM

Dr. Odgerel Chimed-Ochir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Interests: global health; occupational health; WHO Emergency Medical Team Minimum Data Set (MDS); health-EDRM

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 has severely disrupted the health system, including human resources in the health sector, and overall health infrastructure, leading to overburdening of health services. However, rapidly increasing surge capacity and logistic services is challenging, especially in countries with pre-existing labor shortages, geographical disparities in distribution, or poor skill-mix profiles.

During the pandemic, the dual delivery of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 services were the core challenges of the service delivery response. Countries implemented various methods to help handle an increase in demand for both health and social services as a result of COVID-19, while continuing to offer other essential healthcare services.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic conforms to key baseline characteristics of disaster—a situation or event that overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request for national or international assistance—the aforementioned issues in health services during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a range of modifications to existing health emergency and disaster risk management (Health EDRM) systems.

Some academic papers and reports published the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor, which details how Europe and some Asian countries responded to the pandemic. However, they only cover the first or second wave of the pandemic in 2020 or early 2021, and new strategies may have emerged in subsequent waves or as more countries implemented the strategies. Most of the information came from high-income or upper-middle-income countries, limiting our investigation in low-resource settings. In addition, these reports did not cover the advantages/best practices and disadvantages/lessons learnt with regard to the strategies implemented. Thus, in this Special Issue, we will attempt to identify different countries’ responses to staff shortages, as well as their advantages/best practices and disadvantages/lessons learnt, which may help to improve responses to any similar crisis in the future.

We are seeking short reports or articles that i) investigate the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on THE CHANGES MADE to the existing health emergency and disaster risk management system, with an emphasis on human resources, health service delivery, and logistics and their FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES for the next health emergency and disaster.

Prof. Dr. Tatsuhiko Kubo
Dr. Odgerel Chimed-Ochir
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

COVID-19
public health
health emergency disaster and risk management
health policy
emergency response
emergency medical team
public health rapid response team
health emergency operation
disaster occupational health
health service delivery during COVID-19

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4714 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration for Harmless Treatment of Potentially Virulent Waste

by Ying Li, Ruyan Zhao, Haonan Li, Wenting Song and Haoxiang Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15379; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115379 - 27 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

The outbreak of major health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has posed numerous challenges to waste management. Environmentally sound treatment of such epidemic-related municipal solid waste (MSW) plays a vital role in interrupting virus transmission. In this study, the furnace type, incineration process and control parameters of an MSW incinerator were comparatively analyzed with those of a medical waste incinerator and hazardous waste incinerator according to China’s MSW incineration pollution control standards. In addition, changes in flue gas emissions data before, during and after the outbreak of the pandemic were empirically analyzed. The study revealed the following: (1) the feasibility of MSW incinerators to meet the harmless disposal of potentially viral municipal solid waste (PVMSW); (2) the priority order of incinerator types for MSW incinerators in the disposal of potentially virulent waste was grate furnace incinerator > fluidized bed incinerator > cement kiln; and (3) when MSW incinerators treated PVMSW, the emissions of dioxin compounds in the flue gas fluctuated between 0.00052 and 0.031 ng TEQ/m³, HCl emissions fluctuated between 1.6 and 23.742 mg/m³, CO emissions fluctuated between 0.18 and 59.15 mg/m³, heavy metal emissions fluctuated between 0.000008 and 0.855 mg/m³, and particulate matter emissions fluctuated between 0.64 and 12.13 mg/m³. All emissions met the flue gas emission standards. This study verified the feasibility of using MSW incinerators to treat PVMSW during a sudden major pandemic and provided a theoretical basis for the environmentally sound collaborative treatment of PVMSW and a reference for the emergency management and sustainable development of MSW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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15 pages, 1036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Its Impact on Post-Corona Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in Republic of Korea

by Jaeyoung Park, Jeehee Min, Ji-Hun Song, Min Young Park, Hyoungseob Yoo, Ohwi Kwon, Munyoung Yang, Seoyoung Kim, Jongin Lee and Jun-Pyo Myong

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3175; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043175 - 09 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1684

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Republic of Korea’s Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM). This study aims to examine the Republic of Korea’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on Health-EDRM, especially human resources, health services, and logistics. Challenges in the Republic of Korea, including lack of medical workforce, confused risk communication, shortage of hospital beds, and inefficient distribution of medical resources, have been highlighted in this paper in terms of human resources, health service delivery, and logistics, which are components of Health-EDRM. It is essential to address the cooperation between the government and private sectors, the protection of occupational health and safety of medical staff during the pandemic, and strategies and technologies to scale up the health facilities, to respond to a future crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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15 pages, 884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Its Impact on Post-Pandemic Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in the United States

by Allison P. Chen, Bhakti Hansoti and Edbert B. Hsu

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16301; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316301 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2884

Abstract

Among the impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the public health system in the United States has been a reevaluation of emergency response systems and procedures. This study uses publicly available literature from government, private sector, and academic sources to identify changes and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic in specific aspects of emergency response, namely human resources, health service delivery, and logistics, determined based on the World Health Organization Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (WHO Health EDRM) Framework. Major themes of changes implemented include those intended to increase mobility and flexibility of workforce and resources, integration of various parts of the health system, and effective communication, and are anticipated to be incorporated into response systems going forward. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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13 pages, 588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Health Emergency and Disaster in Japan

by Tomohiro Ishimaru, Shoichi Shimizu, Ayaka Teshima, Koki Ibayashi, Mihoko Arikado, Yoko Tsurugi, Seiichiro Tateishi and Makoto Okawara

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15686; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315686 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1333

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the importance of health emergency and disaster risk management (EDRM) to reduce the risks and impacts of infectious disease outbreaks. We investigated Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on changes made to the current health EDRM. Findings from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with six experts were integrated to provide insights into Japan’s health EDRM to improve outcomes in future health emergencies. Relevant information was extracted from COVID-19 policy documents published by the Japanese government, and the interviews validated and expanded on the data already collected. Challenges faced in the country’s response to COVID-19 and the changes made to the health EDRM framework are summarised. Findings were grouped into human resource topics (including essential health EDRM positions and safety of personnel), health service delivery topics (including public health and hospital primary care services), and logistical topics (including vaccination, personal protective equipment, patient transport, and telecommunications). These responses to the pandemic could serve as an example of good practice for other countries developing strategies for future health emergencies and disasters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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13 pages, 1489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Its Impact on Post-Corona Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in Iran

by Nader Ghotbi

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14858; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214858 - 10 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1267

Abstract

This paper examines the COVID-19 pandemic response in Iran and offers speculations on the possible impact of its experience on the future response to other health emergencies and disaster risk management based on the lessons learned. The COVID-19 experience in Iran is unique in several aspects, including the significant role played by the healthcare workers’ sharing and exchange of information through Internet-based networking applications, and a sociocultural environment that was weakening public trust and cooperation in the use of preventive strategies such as less than the optimum wearing of face masks and attending large social gatherings. There was also hesitation in receiving the necessary vaccine doses due to public skepticism over the effectiveness of domestic COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, healthcare workers and health services were afflicted with a lack of sufficient manpower and material resources to fight the pandemic. Moreover, a strong and mostly negative influence of political agenda and religious influence on preventive health policies, especially an initial governmental ban on the import and use of Western vaccines and the pressure to hold religious festivals during the outbreaks, were prevalent. The lessons that can be learned from this ongoing crisis include the value of independent healthcare information networks, transparency in the communication of health information to the public to get their trust and cooperation, and an emphasis on the separation of health policies from political and religious interference. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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Review

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25 pages, 1771 KiB

Open AccessReview

Impact of COVID-19 on Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management System: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Workforce Management in COVID-19

by Odgerel Chimed-Ochir, Jargalmaa Amarsanaa, Nader Ghotbi, Yui Yumiya, Ryoma Kayano, Frank Van Trimpont, Virginia Murray and Tatsuhiko Kubo

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511668 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1273

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries faced a shortage as well as maldistribution of healthcare workers and a misalignment between healthcare needs and worker skills. In this scoping review, we have sought to identify the country-level responses to health workforce shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the advantages/best practices and disadvantages/lessons learned. We have reviewed 24 scientific papers in four electronic databases: Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, and TRIP. The main strategies implemented by countries were financial coordination mechanisms, relaxing standards/rules, worker redeployment, recruitment of volunteers, fast-tracking medical students, and using other workforce resources such as the recruitment of inactive healthcare workers and returnees whose registration had lapsed within the preceding 1–2 years. These strategies demonstrated numerous advantages, such as establishing mutual support across nations and organizations, boosting motivation among healthcare workers, and creating a new staffing model for future pandemics. However, several important lessons were also learned during the implementation process. Managing volunteers, including ensuring their safety and allocating them to areas in need, required significant effort and high-level coordination, particularly in the absence of a comprehensive needs assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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Other

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17 pages, 10890 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Its Impact on Post-Corona Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in Türkiye

by Hasan Erbay

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020826 - 18 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1146

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, has not only created a number of emerging issues for each country, especially in the field of public health, but has also provided a number of opportunities for risk management, alternative strategies and completely new ways of looking at challenges. This brief report examines the COVID-19 pandemic response in Türkiye and the possible implications of the experience for future responses to other health emergencies and disaster risk management, based on the lessons learned. This study uses publicly available literature from government, private sector and academic sources to analyse the conflicts, changes and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are components of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) framework. The COVID-19 experience in Türkiye has several aspects, including the significant role of healthcare workers, the existence of an effective health system accustomed to emergencies, applications based on information technologies, the partial transparency of public authorities in providing information and a socio-cultural environment related to cooperation on prevention strategies, including wearing masks and vaccination. Challenges in Türkiye include distance learning in schools, lockdowns that particularly affect the elderly, ensuring environmental sustainability, hesitation about the effectiveness of social/financial support programs, the socio-cultural trivialisation of pandemics after a while and the relaxation of prevention strategies. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic include the value of transparency in public health/healthcare information, the strengthening of all aspects of the health system in terms of health workers and the importance of a balanced economy prepared for foreseeable risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Health Emergency Disaster Risk Management during and Post COVID-19 Era)

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