Transcript Strategies for Helping Women in Poor Communities

Strategies for Helping Women in Poor Communities;
Resources for Coping after Natural Disasters
Antor Ndep Ola, MPH, CHES, Camille Edwards, MPH (Candidate)
Meshawn Tarver, MPH, Gail Rome, Danielle Broussard, PhD and
Jeanette H. Magnus, MD, PhD
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
2005 Hurricanes in
Louisiana
Katrina made landfall on
August 29, 2005 as a
category 4 storm
Storm surge and levy
breaches flooded 80% of the
City of New Orleans
2.5 million people affected
More than 288,000 people
left homeless
Over 1300 dead in New
Orleans alone
Most costly storm to date, in
US history: 34.4 Billion total;
22 Billion in LA alone
Rita made landfall on
September 25, 2005 as a
category 3 storm
Storm surge flooded most of
South-West LA
Total cost estimated at 4.7
Billion; 2.4 Billion in LA alone
460,000 people affected
More than 76,000 left
homeless
17th Street Canal Breach
Effects of Disasters
Stress and Associated
Disorders
People who are
affected by natural
disaster can develop
psychological disorders
such as depression,
chronic anxiety, and
Post traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD)
Post disaster, it is
expected that the
affected population will
have
 54% depression
 5-9% clinical PTSD
 100% some degree
of trauma symptoms
Pre hurricanes, Louisiana
was deemed the worst
state in US for women to
live because women are
vulnerable with
Reproductive
Health Issues
Differential Effect
of Natural Disasters
Literacy, Access,
and
Ability to Navigate
socio-political
systems
Resource Deprivation
Individual Level
Economic Insecurity
Loss of Work/ Income Providers
Loss of Homestead/ Vehicle/
Loss of Material Possessions
Disruption of Social Ties
Death and/or Injury
Dislocation of Family and Friends
Community Level
The Role of Women in
Louisiana’s Recovery
Available Resources in
Post Katrina New Orleans
Women are the primary care givers
The glue of society
Women’s health is usually a
marker for a state’s economic
development
Women’s mental health is critical
for their own recovery, and that of
their families and their community
Because of their…
Families helping families of Louisiana; www.fhfla.org
Individual websites e.g. Craig's list
Catholic Charities of New Orleans
Common Ground
Covenant House
Hispanic Apostolate
FEMA Disaster Relief Centers
Neighborhood organizing such as the Broadmoor Civic Association,
Central City Development
New Orleans East Alive Festival
Local media: radio, television, newspaper websites such as wwltv.com ,
www.nola.com, www.lifesongs.com
Community websites such as http://cleanno.org
Katrina Krewe
Chris Rose’s column on www.nola.com
Coping capacity
Resiliency
Grassroots Leadership abilities
Networking abilities
Ability to reconnect with others
Ability to build support systems
Infrastructure Breakdown
Public health/Medical/hospital
systems
Address change
Personnel change
Reduced capacity
Breakdown in communication
Disconnected phone lines/fax/emails
Disruption of postal services
Power outage
environmental pollution
Low water pressure
Full Gospel International and associated churches
Mary Queen of Vietnam Church and associated neighborhood
businesses
Upper Room Bible Church and associated churches
Community information fairs
Public and Charter School Systems in New Orleans and
surrounding areas
Women of the Storm
St. Anna’s Mobile Health Clinic
Musician Village
Tulane Multidisciplinary Healthcare Centers
Tulane Xavier National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health
Mary Amelia Douglas Whited Community Women Health
Education Center
Area universities and colleges such as Tulane, Xavier, Dillard,
LSU, Loyola, Delgado, SUNO and UNO
Valuable Lessons Learned
References:
 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). (2005) Surviving Field
Stress for First Responders. (DHHS publication draft). Washington, D.C
 American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed.-text revision). Washington, DC.
 World Health Organization (WHO). (2006). Gender and women’s mental health.
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en.
 Cutter SL. The Geography of Social Vulnerability: Race, Class, and Catastrophe.
Understanding Katrina, Perspectives from the Social Sciences, 2005.
http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/cutter
In order to succeed in a post-disaster environment, agencies
must have the following qualities:
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Willingness to think and act “outside the box”
Ability to engage community members in planning and
developing strategies for provision of healthcare
Willingness to take road trips just to get a working
phone number, to schedule a meeting or to get an
address
Ability to make use of existing partnerships and creating
new networks through community meetings, academic
collaborations and personal contacts