Health surveillance and natural disasters: a literature review

Abstract

Climate projections for the end of the 21st century suggest the intensification of extreme events that can cause direct and indirect damage to public health and impact differently on vulnerable populations. In this context, health surveillance stands out for its relevant actions in all stages of disaster risk management. The aim of this paper was to review the scientific literature on health surveillance and natural disasters in a global context, in order to describe the main approaches to these themes. Publications focus on the health effects of disasters; health sector actions in disasters, the health information system / flow, and conditions of vulnerability and disasters. The first two topics are more prevalent in the literature and allow the sharing of lessons learned over the years. Although in smaller numbers, the last two themes present discussions relevant to the theme of disaster risk management and have much to contribute to the advancement of risk culture in the country, to a better understanding of reality and to both population and institutional resilience. In this sense, the importance of further studies on these themes is emphasized.