GIS Mapping Analysis of Damages and Countermeasures Against the Nankai Trough Earthquake among Primary Care Facilities in Miyazaki / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

Introduction: To visualize the damage to primary care facilities in Miyazaki prefecture caused by the Nankai Trough earthquake by collating GIS data and to propose feasible countermeasures based on the estimated damage.Methods: The merged data of the estimated tsunami damage downloaded from the service for numerical information on national land use created by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism were combined with the data of medical institutions collected from the regional medical information system of the Japan Medical Association.Results: Of the 721 clinics and 140 hospitals, 139 clinics and 31 hospitals were affected, with 521 and 4,713 beds, respectively. By medical area, regions in which more than 50% of the clinics and hospitals were affected included the northern region of Nobeoka Nishi-usuki (clinics, 58.7%; hospitals, 60.0%) and Hyuga Irigo (clinics, 84.2%; hospitals, 61.5%), revealing a disproportionate estimate of damage.Conclusion: To deal with long-term damage, joint operation among regional facilities in neighboring prefectures is essential for a community continuity plan. Care facilities can take initiatives for cooperative disaster risk reduction planning with residents.

Avian influenza A(H7N9): information-sharing through government web sites in the Western Pacific Region

Under the International Health Regulations (2005),1 the Chinese Government reported three human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus on 31 March 2013 to the World Health Organization (WHO). Previous public health events have shown that early detection, rapid response and sharing of information can reduce the impact of emerging and re-emerging diseases.2 Risk communication is critical in providing accurate, direct and relevant information as the event unfolds, especially when the disease is of public health importance and/or there is high public anxiety.3,4 Communication between government authorities and the public is especially important during these health events, particularly during outbreaks.5 The Internet is one important tool used to present information to the public; globally, one in three people have access to the Internet6 and Internet search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, have become a frequently used means to obtain information.