Disasters, Recovery and Health Care for Disadvantaged Urban Populations

Award Year: 2005	Investigator: David McBride	Budget: $224,343	Categories: Urban Health, Disaster Management and Policy
Abstract: As Hurricane Katrina so bluntly demonstrated, natural disasters take their heaviest toll on the lives and health of minorities and the poor. David McBride, Ph.D., M.Phil. studies the impact of recent disasters on the health and health care of poor and underserved populations in major U.S. cities. His project, Disasters, Recovery, and Health Care for Disadvantaged Urban Populations, looks at natural disasters and other environmental mishaps of the last 30 years to understand their public health implications. He is particularly interested in how health care systems and public agencies at the state, local, and federal levels respond to such crises and the role of community and civic organizations in providing assistance. Case studies of select cities provide insight into short and long-term health consequences and how communities perceive and interact with those providing aid. The goal is a series of findings that will improve future disaster preparation, response, and recovery efforts.