How can the human dimensions of disaster impacts be more accurately captured and represented in the analysis, modeling and simulation of disasters?
When you discuss human damage; a systematic approach to give us perspectives on the damage on humans would be useful. For example; individual care needs and impacts on people with communicable and non-communicable diseases. Another dimension is how the health care burden in the community changes before and after disasters. To understand these changes we need a set of standards and variables impacting care needs in communities. This highlights the need for a rapid systematic and standardized measurement to collate and analyze data. To capture human dimensions of disasters more accurately; a dynamic systematic process is recommended; especially in today’s shifting environmental; social; and fiscal climates. A tool that could provide the template to support such a capability is the United Nations Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (Scorecard). A modified version of this would ensure a “systems of systems” mindset and approach. The indicators for understanding human dimensions could be designed to ensure various aspects are considered; such as organization; understanding risks; transport; logistics; continuity of treatment and care; etc. During development and implementation; a population-based team approach would be used to ensure comprehensive discussion; providing high confidence in the priority areas for analysis; modeling; and simulation of disasters. This multidisciplinary approach recognizes no one authority or organization possesses all the resources and expertise required to address the lateral communications and decision-making processes required for success in disaster situations.
What type of data and supporting research infrastructure would be necessary to enable novel, transdisciplinary approaches to answering these and other human-centered disaster questions?
Shareable data and research infrastructure would be needed to ensure various dimensions are considered; such as organization; understanding risks; transport; logistics; and continuity of treatment and care. This will vary by location and application of a locally led systematic process using a transdisciplinary team approach will help determine which priority actions should be kept or removed to maximize human-centered disaster resilience. A modified version of the scorecard would need a template for this to occur. The validity and versatility of the scorecard method has been demonstrated in various settings with funders supporting implementation. For example; the World Health Organization is funding a project to systematically identify and evaluate strategies for strengthening public health system resilience in Australia; Bangladesh; Japan; Slovenia; Turkey; and the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture has funded a project to use a modified version of the Scorecard to identify; rank; and prioritize actions for strengthening food security in rural areas of the United States. In addition; the Scorecard model is being used in various international institutions. A key aspect of success when implementing and applying the scorecard is a “systems of systems” mindset and approach. The indicators are designed to ensure various aspects are considered; such as organization; understanding risks; transport; logistics; continuity of treatment and care; etc. During implementation a population-based team approach is used to ensure comprehensive discussion; providing high confidence in the priority areas for action.
In what ways can US-Japan collaborations advance these questions in new and important ways?
Shareable data and research infrastructure would be needed to ensure various dimensions are considered; such as organization; understanding risks; transport; logistics; and continuity of treatment and care. This will vary by location and application of a locally led systematic process using a transdisciplinary team approach will help determine which priority actions should be kept or removed to maximize human-centered disaster resilience. A modified version of the scorecard would need a template for this to occur. The validity and versatility of the scorecard method has been demonstrated in various settings with funders supporting implementation. For example; the World Health Organization is funding a project to systematically identify and evaluate strategies for strengthening public health system resilience in Australia; Bangladesh; Japan; Slovenia; Turkey; and the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture has funded a project to use a modified version of the Scorecard to identify; rank; and prioritize actions for strengthening food security in rural areas of the United States. In addition; the Scorecard model is being used in a project by various institutions in the US. A key aspect of success when implementing and applying the scorecard is a “systems of systems” mindset and approach. The indicators are designed to ensure various aspects are considered; such as organization; understanding risks; transport; logistics; continuity of treatment and care; etc. During implementation a population-based team approach is used to ensure comprehensive discussion; providing high confidence in the priority areas for action.