As the world grapples with more complex, unpredictable, and prolonged disasters, policymakers and other stakeholders should stop focusing only on the response phase of a disaster and instead put more resources and effort into preventing and preparing for disasters, according to a new opinion piece written by Frederick Burkle, a visiting scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a senior fellow at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.
The piece, published on January 28, 2020, in New Security Beat, noted that dealing with disasters is a complex science that requires interdisciplinary skills. “Healthcare providers today face more complex and multidisciplinary decisions when responding to a natural disaster,” he wrote. “As a result, healthcare providers must call upon a broader knowledge base that straddles the entire disaster cycle and other contributing professions.”
Read the New Security Beat article: Disasters Have Changed. So Must Our Response.