Original Research

Disaster management training for environmental health: A narrative literature review

Patience Mbola, Davies V. Nkosi, Oyewale M. Morakinyo
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 16, No 1 | a1706 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v16i1.1706 | © 2024 Patience Mbola, Davies V. Nkosi, Oyewale M. Morakinyo | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 April 2024 | Published: 30 September 2024

About the author(s)

Patience Mbola, Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa; and Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
Davies V. Nkosi, Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
Oyewale M. Morakinyo, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The growing frequency and severity of disasters worldwide have highlighted the need for environmental health practitioners to be equipped with specialised training to respond effectively to evolving public health contexts. Disasters can have long-lasting impacts on the environment and environmental health services, necessitating prompt and effective responses. However, the current environmental health workforce faces challenges in acquiring the necessary competencies to address environmental health threats during disasters. This narrative review synthesises existing literature on disaster management education for environmental health professionals, exploring current training, advancements and emerging trends. The review follows Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and includes a total of 45 records that met inclusion criteria (compromising 15 peer-reviewed articles and 30 training records) published between 2002 and 2023. Findings highlight the expansion of environmental health degree programmes to include disaster management, better preparing newly qualified practitioners. However, a knowledge gap remains for previously qualified practitioners. High-income countries prioritising capacity building for environmental health practitioners in disaster management are better equipped to respond to and mitigate disasters.

Contribution: The review suggests that with proper basic training for disaster responders, more lives can be saved during and after disasters. It highlights the insufficiency of current training programmes and emphasises the need for advanced role-specific training for environmental health practitioners. The review emphasises the need for advanced role-specific training, community assessment skills and focused disaster response strategies to enhance environmental health practitioners’ ability to respond to disasters and improve public health resilience. Enhanced training, capacity building and collaboration are necessary to improve the competencies, skills and knowledge of environmental health practitioners in disaster risk management and public health emergencies.


Keywords

environmental health practitioners; disasters; disaster management; health emergency; training; education; capacity building.

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

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