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FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam

EUI Natural Disasters: Demographic and Health Outcomes for Women and Children

Awarded: NOK 2.2 mill.

Natural disasters can lead to changes in demographic and health outcomes in a population. Women and children are considered as particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, and even more so in low-resource settings. Therefore, this research project focuses on demographic and health outcomes of earthquakes, storms and floods for women and children in low- and middle-income countries. There are three topics that will be investigated; fertility before and after the 2010 Haiti earthquake; child undernutrition after the 2010 Haiti earthquake; storms infant mortality in the Philippines; and floods and utilisation of maternal healthcare services in Bangladesh. Secondary data will be analysed with a focus on the association between the natural disaster and the demographic and health outcomes of interest. Preliminary results indicate long-term impacts for women and children after natural disasters.

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Health inequalities exist between and within countries. The inequalities can be explained through the social determinants of health. Research on health inequalities concludes that social injustice is a major contributor to mortality. Yet there is very little research on the social determinants of health and health inequalities in the context of natural disasters. This project aims to investigate how health inequalities are affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes or storms. To answer the research questions three cross-national studies will examine the association between natural disasters and health inequalities. The knowledge gained from this project aims to contribute to disaster risk reduction with a focus on prevention, preparation and ensuring effective response to humanitarian emergencies with emphasis on the health impact.

Funding scheme:

FRIHUMSAM-Fri prosj.st. hum og sam