[A primary healthcare strategy in disaster situations]

Area of Science:

• Disaster medicine
• Public health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The 1999 earthquake in the Colombian Coffee Area displaced numerous individuals.
• Emergency settlements presented significant public health challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the Cuban Medical Team's experience in post-earthquake interventions.
• To identify key health issues and environmental factors affecting displaced populations.

Main Methods:

• Interventions focused on primary health care, environmental care, and epidemiological surveillance.
• Active surveillance was employed in emergency settlements.
• Environmental health assessments were conducted.

Main Results:

• The primary causes of morbidity included acute diarrheic diseases, acute respiratory infections, and skin diseases.
• Poor environmental health conditions in settlements correlated with increased disease incidence.

Conclusions:

• The study provides insights into managing health in disaster scenarios with displaced populations.
• Findings can guide health professionals in future disaster response efforts.