Integrating Health Research into Disaster Response: The New NIH Disaster Research Response Program

• Main Authors: Aubrey Miller, Kevin Yeskey, Stavros Garantziotis, Stacey Arnesen, April Bennett, Liam O’Fallon, Claudia Thompson, Les Reinlib, Scott Masten, James Remington, Cindy Love, Steve Ramsey, Richard Rosselli, Betsy Galluzzo, Joy Lee, Richard Kwok, Joseph Hughes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: disasters; disaster research; disaster epidemiology; environmental health; science preparedness; disaster risk reduction; strategic science
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/7/676

The need for high quality and timely disaster research has been a topic of great discussion over the past several years. Recent high profile incidents have exposed gaps in knowledge about the health impacts of disasters or the benefits of specific interventions—such was the case with the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill and recent events associated with lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and the evolving health crisis related to Zika virus disease. Our inability to perform timely research to inform the community about health and safety risks or address specific concerns further heightens anxiety and distrust. Since nearly all disasters, whether natural or man-made, have an environmental health component, it is critical that specialized research tools and trained researchers be readily available to evaluate complex exposures and health effects, especially for vulnerable sub-populations such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with socioeconomic and environmental disparities. In response, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science has initiated a Disaster Research Response Program to create new tools, protocols, networks of researchers, training exercises, and outreach involving diverse groups of stakeholders to help overcome the challenges of disaster research and to improve our ability to collect vital information to reduce the adverse health impacts and improve future preparedness.