Surveillance
Surveillance is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of deaths, injuries, and illnesses in order to provide information about any adverse health effects related to a disaster event in a community.
Surveillance allows us to:
- Assess the human health impacts of a disaster;
- Evaluate potential problems related to planning and prevention.
Examples of CDC activities in surveillance:
- Landslides, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia - 2002
- Tropical Storm Allison - 2001
- Flooding in North Dakota - 2000
- Hurricane Georges, Puerto Rico - 1998
- Flooding in Louisiana - 1995
- Passive Surveillance, American Red Cross-CDC Health Impact Surveillance System for Disasters.
![Health Impact Interview after Landslides in Chuuk State](images/chuuk.jpg)
![Health Impact Meeting after Hurricane Fran](images/disa003.jpg)
Rapid Needs Assessment
Rapid needs assessment refers to a set of tools designed to provide, quickly and at low cost, accurate and reliable population-based information to emergency managers. The objective is to obtain information about the needs of an affected community as these needs change in the aftermath of a disaster event.
Examples of CDC activities in rapid needs assessment:
- Tropical Storm Allison, Texas - 2001
- Hurricane Mitch: Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador - 1999
- Earthquake, Turkey - 1999
- Hurricane Georges, Dominican Republic - 1998