Globalization and Ethical Implications
Project: Actionable Plan in Response to Brazil Earthquake
February 2019: a deadly earthquake has struck the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and early reports indicate it has caused major destruction and great loss of life. The local government is unable to cope with the scale of the damage and plans are made across the world to assemble international response teams and send them to that location as quickly as possible.
You have been asked to lead a Disease Containment Quick Response Team that will be deployed in what appears to be the worst hit area of Rio de Janeiro: the Favelas. You are given a summary introduction of what you should expect once you get on location, but the pace of this operation is such that you will need to integrate that information with your own research while you are en route to your destination.
- Clearly identify what your role is on the response team. In other words, are you there as an environmental expert, a health worker, a food inspector, etc.
- You will need to report back to the agency that is sending you to the area. You will design an interactive presentation that can be transmitted.
- You will also need to develop a specific plan for what you will do while in the area.
For this project you will create the following three deliverables:
- Your specific health science role and responsibilities – description
- Short Presentation: use available information, databases, etc. to research in depth the specific area into which you will be deployed: Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas. Among other things this will need to include a bit of history as well as the type of health concerns present in that area before the storm struck. Be as specific as you can: the last thing you want to do is arrive on location and be unprepared for the task at hand!
- Once you have collected all the necessary information. Develop a 10 minute-long narrated PowerPoint presentation where you describe your findings.
- Actionable Plan: develop a written actionable plan that analyzes and responds to at least three types of disease and/ or environmental threats you expect to encounter once you arrive on location. Be specific: your description should not only identify and describe the threat, but also illustrate clearly how it would apply to the circumstances found in that specific location, and following the catastrophic event that just occurred. Don’t forget about chronic disease that may have already been an issue as well as communicable disease and injury. Also include health promotion during the relief efforts and prevention of further disease and disability. The total length of this deliverable is approximately 20 pages. It should include a timeline and who is responsible for each part of the effort, needed resources, and a communication plan. (See template below
Project Assignment: Actionable Plan in Response to Brazil Earthquake
Overview of Area
Research the area of the earthquake.
- Be specific about location, types of housing, buildings, industry, whether areas are isolated;
- Also look at demographics and economics of area.
- Be thorough and detailed.
Overview of Health Issues (include chronic disease, communicable disease, injuries and disabilities, environmental threats, and special issues for vulnerable populations)
- Research the major chronic diseases of Brazil, particularly the area affected by the earthquake.
- Determine who is most affected, why, risk behaviors,
- And any programs for health promotion for each disease that are currently in place in the area.
Threats due to location and event (a minimum of 3 you expect to confront on arrival)
- In addition to everyday poverty in the Favelas, a disaster is particularly hard on vulnerable populations.
- Further develop out your plan to address the needs of vulnerable populations.
- Describe who the vulnerable populations are,
- why they are considered vulnerable,
- And how your plan will address their health promotion disease prevention needs.
Health Promotion or Disease Prevention Plan.
Based on health risks during a disaster, choose three main issues to further explore (environmental risks, nutritional risks, chronic disease risks, injury risks, or acute disease risks).
For the three issues chosen, make a poster that clearly and concisely shows
- what these risks are,
- the causes,
- effects (short and long term),
And who is mostly affected.
Include (Use the table below to complete this part of the assignment)
- Issue Addressed
- Learning Outcomes/objectives
Audience
Resources/Materials
Learning
- List Activities (5) – describe specifically what will be done to enhance health promotion/disease prevention
- Mode of Dissemination
- Evaluation of learning
Resources you will need to carry out the relief efforts
- Models help people visualize the situation.
- Construct a map or model of the hardest hit area of the earthquake where poverty was already a major issue.
- Locate on your model where you would put services for residents.
Think about security, medical services and types, rescue, housing, food services, and others.
- Clearly label all services.
Communication plan
- Create a broadcasting (communication) plan to inform the public of services and risks.
- There are always people outside of the immediately affected area who need information.
- Create a 2-minute public service announcement that can be transmitted through multiple means including TV, radio, texting, email, loud speaker from trucks, etc.