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Disease Burden in the Context of Disasters: Insights from Over 6.7 Million Respondents in the Bangladesh Disaster-Related Statistics of 2021
41 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2024
More...Abstract
Background: Climate change and its adverse health effects are now a global concern, with Bangladesh ranking as the seventh most vulnerable country. Because of climate change the country is now experiencing increasing intensity of natural disasters. However, the burden of disasters and adverse health outcomes during and following disasters in Bangladesh remains largely unknown. We conducted this study to explore the burden of disasters and adverse health outcomes during and following disasters in Bangladesh.
Methods: We analysed 6,788,947 respondents’ data from a cross-sectional and nationally representative 2021 Bangladesh Disaster-related Statistics (BDRS). The key explanatory variables were the types of disasters respondents faced, while the outcome variables were the disease burden during and following disasters. Descriptive statistics determined the disease burden during and following disasters. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to assess the association of disease burden during and following disasters with type of disasters as well as other socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Results: Nearly 50% of the total analysed respondents reported one or more diseases during disasters, increasing to 53.4% following the disasters. Fever and diarrhoea were highly prevalent both during and after disasters, while skin diseases, malnutrition, and asthma increased following disasters. Vulnerable groups, including children aged 0-4 years, hijra individuals, those with lower education, persons with disabilities, and those residing in rural areas, particularly in Chattogram, Rangpur, and Sylhet divisions, were the most affected by disasters. Floods, cyclones, thunderstorms, and hailstorms were identified as the most influential disasters, each significantly increasing the likelihood of diseases during and following disasters.
Conclusion: The study highlights the intricate interplay between disasters and health outcomes in Bangladesh, emphasizing the imperative for tailored public health interventions, enhanced healthcare infrastructure, and evidence-based policies to mitigate the adverse effects of disasters on the population's health.
Funding: his study was carried without receiving any external financial support.
Declaration of Interest: None.
Ethical Approval: The survey was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Committee of the Bangladesh Buruea of Statistics (BBS). A written informed consent was obtained from all the participants in this survey before their inclusion. We explored de- identified data from BBS by submitting a research proposal for this study. Therefore, any additional ethical approvals were not required for this study.
Keywords: Climate Change, Disease Burden, Disaster, Bangladesh Disaster-Related Statistics, Bangladesh
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