Define Calamity and Emergency Management - nutritional needs of humans?
During past many years, we have seen, as well as, realized -that natural calamities strikes countries, both developed
The occurrence of both natural and man-made emergencies has risen in the recent years with a large number of affected communities, refugees and displaced persons. Droughts, floods, earthquakes and crop destruction by diseases or pests cause nature- induced famines while war and civil conflicts create man made famines. Regions that produce barely enough food for survival under normal conditions are vulnerable to famines induced by calamities. All major emergencies often result in food shortage, impair the nutritional status of a population and cause an excessive mortality in almost all age groups. Nutrition is therefore a key public health concern in emergency management. Malnutrition in one or more of its various forms is the main feature during calamities. When nutritional needs of an affected population or a subgroup of population are not met completely, it is observed that the signs of malnutrition and deficiency diseases emerge among helpless or vulnerable individuals. Can you think of a few deficiency diseases which might prevail under such conditions? Well, there are underweight children, anaemic mothers and marasmic babies. The cases of vitamin deficiency diseases i.e. blindness, scurvy, beriberi, pellagra and other deficiency diseases are also observed.