VOLUME 2: SPECIAL ISSUE

NOVEMBER 2005
EDITORIAL

When Chronic Conditions Become Acute:

Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases and
Adverse Health Outcomes During Natural
Disasters
Ali H. Mokdad, PhD, George A. Mensah, MD, Samuel F. Posner, PhD, Eddie Reed, MD, Eduardo J. Simoes, MD, MSc, MPH,
Michael M. Engelgau, MD, and the Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations in Natural Disasters Working Group
Suggested citation for this article: Mokdad AH, Mensah
GA, Posner SF, Reed E, Simoes EJ, Engelgau MM, and the
Chronic Diseases and Vulnerable Populations in Natural
Disasters Working Group. When chronic conditions
become acute: prevention and control of chronic diseases
and adverse health outcomes during natural disasters.
Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2005 Nov [date cited].
Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/
nov/05_0201.htm.
Natural disasters pose major public health challenges.
Preparations for these disasters usually focus on how to
evacuate people from affected areas; how to provide transportation, shelter, food, and water for the evacuees; and
how to prevent injury and infectious diseases that may
develop in crowded living situations after disasters (1-3).
All of these preparations are important and necessary, but
they are not enough.
Also needed are preparations to care for populations
whose health is already compromised and who are, therefore, more vulnerable than healthy people to the stresses
and disruptions caused by natural disasters. Populations
affected by disasters may carry a large and measurable
burden of disabilities and chronic diseases, especially
heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and chronic
respiratory disorders (4). For example, we can reasonably
project that the number of people with cancer who were
directly affected by the Hurricane Katrina evacuation is in
the tens of thousands (J. King, written communication,
September 2005). In addition, data from the 2000 U.S. census long-form survey indicate that 20.2% of the population,

roughly 275,000 people, aged 5 years and older in the 10

parishes in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area
had a disability of some type (5). Accommodating the
needs of this population during evacuation and return is a
sizable undertaking.
Chronic illnesses are exacerbated by the conditions
caused by a disaster (e.g., lack of food, lack of clean water,
extremes of cold or heat, physical and mental stress,
injury, exposure to infection). Natural disasters may also
put people with limited mobility and women who are
pregnant and their unborn fetuses at increased risk for
adverse health outcomes. Elderly men and women, many
of whom have multiple chronic conditions and comorbidities being treated with multiple medications, are particularly at risk (6-9). People of low socioeconomic status, people without health insurance, and people with mental illness or disabilities are other vulnerable populations who
can experience higher morbidity and mortality during disasters. Similarly vulnerable are ischemic stroke survivors
taking anticoagulants, people whose diabetes is controlled
by insulin, heart attack survivors taking clot-preventing
medications, people with severe lung disease receiving
home oxygen therapy, people with hereditary blood disorders, and patients receiving hemodialysis for kidney failure (9-14).
Lack of access to routine health care is a leading cause
of mortality after disasters (15). In addition, indirect
effects (e.g., loss of electricity) can lead to exposure to
extreme heat or cold or interruption of supplemental oxygen supplies. Many people living with disabilities rely on

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only
and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.

www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/nov/05_0201.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

VOLUME 2: SPECIAL ISSUE

NOVEMBER 2005

routine health care services to maintain their quality of

life and live independently. Without access to these services, they may experience adverse health events. Compared
with other pregnant women, women in the early stages of
pregnancy may be at higher risk for adverse pregnancy
outcomes because of exposure during organogenesis to toxins or infectious agents. Unfortunately the problems of
vulnerable populations who are at risk for adverse health
outcomes when routine health care services are disrupted
remain inadequately studied or addressed.
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is a reminder of the
urgent need for developing and implementing recommendations for the control of chronic diseases during disasters.
A limited needs assessment among individuals staying in
evacuation centers, conducted in the field and reported to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
demonstrated that five of the top six conditions were all
chronic diseases and that, other than injuries, the majority of medical and health visits were for medication refills,
oral health issues, and other chronic health conditions
(16). Leading the list of top 10 conditions were hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and psychiatric
disorders (new and existing) (16). Other surveys of
Hurricane Katrina evacuees show that up to 41% had at
least one chronic health condition such as heart disease,
hypertension, diabetes, or asthma (17). The preliminary
medical examiner report of mortality associated with
Hurricane Charley in Florida in 2004 showed that the six
deaths related to natural causes resulted from exacerbation of existing cardiac or pulmonary conditions (18). The
editorial accompanying the report called for strengthening
local disaster plans and public health messages for vulnerable populations who are likely to have chronic medical
conditions and are likely to require medical supplies or
equipment that depend on electricity to operate (18).
Preparations for the prevention and control of chronic
diseases, of secondary conditions among people with
disabilities, and of adverse pregnancy outcomes during
disasters must be guided by 1) the predisaster rates of
adverse health outcomes and disease burden, 2) awareness of the immediate needs of people with chronic
diseases (including a plan for providing essential medications), 3) knowledge of the basic and surge capacity of
health care delivery systems of the affected and surrounding areas to treat and manage chronic diseases,
and 4) the areas ability to rebuild the basic infrastructure needed to support care. A comprehensive strategy to

address the overall health of disaster survivors must

therefore include not only a plan for evacuation and
emergency treatment but also a strategy to deliver care
to vulnerable populations including pregnant women and
people with chronic diseases or disabilities.
In accordance with established clinical and preventive
services guidelines, disaster preparations must ensure the
availability of everything necessary to control chronic diseases, prevent acute events and complications related to
chronic diseases, and protect the health and well-being of
pregnant women and their fetuses. These guidelines
should address patient triage, clinical evaluation, and supply of essential medications for care of chronic illnesses
(19-21). Support of the emergency medical response system and access to specialty care such as hemodialysis, ventilatory support, and emergency obstetric care must be
delineated. A list of essential medications consistent with
the predicted burden of chronic diseases should be developed and used in planning for provision of chronic maintenance medications during disasters.
The CDC, in partnership with the public health community, should consider developing surveillance tools to support disaster planning that adequately addresses the
health care needs of the general population and of vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and people
living with disabilities. Such a surveillance tool should
have at least three components: 1) the ability to establish
a baseline of the size, functional status, and needs of the
vulnerable populations in areas susceptible to predictable
disasters (such as hurricanes); 2) the ability to assess the
needs and levels of actual response during the disasters;
and 3) the ability to monitor the long-term effects of the
emergency. These components map the surveillance activities into a timeline reflecting the three phases of the disaster: before, during, and after.
A wide range of professionals, including physicians,
nurses, public health professionals, legislators, the aging
services network, and national and community organizations must use the data generated from these assessments
to guide policy development and to ensure the use of best
practices during disasters. Appropriate policies should be
established to support the development of training materials for health professionals so that they can care for vulnerable populations. Similar training materials could be
used in medical schools, nursing schools, and public health
institutions and as part of emergency relief training. A

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only
and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/nov/05_0201.htm

VOLUME 2: SPECIAL ISSUE

NOVEMBER 2005

response to chronic diseases and obstetric health care

needs during emergencies based on appropriate policies
and best practices should be included in the emergency
response plans of states and municipalities, and the
planned response should be evaluated periodically by all
the groups, agencies, and institutions involved in disaster
planning. Public education materials, including public
service announcements in affected areas, should remind
people of routine steps needed to ensure that their chronic
diseases remain stable and adverse health outcomes are
prevented throughout a disaster. For example, in response
to Hurricane Katrina, the CDC developed materials,
including radio and television public service announcements, to deliver public health messages for pregnant
women. These messages have been aired in multiple areas
with large populations of evacuees. Messages were also
developed for topics such as hand washing and were widely used in evacuee shelters.
Although individual patients and their families need to be
well prepared and provided with clear and consistent recommendations to make preparations, many others must
help them. To ensure an adequate response, disaster preparation should be coordinated with all partners, roles should
be well defined, and procedures should be clearly stated.
Responsibilities for each element of the response should be
assigned in advance. An adequate means of communication
and standardized health procedures should be available.
The lessons of Hurricane Katrina should stimulate action
long overdue to consider the importance of chronic diseases
in disaster planning. It is time to carefully reflect on the
chronic health needs of all populations and the health conditions that may be exacerbated during natural disasters.
Although reducing the potential for infectious disease outbreaks is vital, minimum standards should be set to prevent and control morbidity and mortality among people
with chronic diseases, people who are pregnant, and people
with disabilities whose safety and quality of life may be
adversely affected by a stressful interruption in their routine health care. It is time to develop and implement guidelines for both short- and long-term care before, during, and
in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters.

Acknowledgments
The following are members of the Chronic Diseases and
Vulnerable Populations in Natural Disasters Working

Group, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, CDC,

Atlanta, Ga: P Allweiss, L Anderson, L Balluz, G Beckles,
A Berkowitz, BP Bernard, B Bowman, D Brantley, V
Campbell, JL Collins, J Cordero, WH Dietz, P Eke, MM
Engelgau, E Ford, D Galuska, HW Giles, K Greenlund, E
Gregg, L Grummer-Strawn, C Husten, R Jiles, JM Kelly,
LK Kann, W Kohn, DL Labarthe, J Lando, M Link, W
Maas, R McDonald, GA Mensah, AH Mokdad, MJ Moore,
L Pollack, SF Posner, M Pratt, S Rasmussen, E Reed, S
Rutledge, P Rzeszotarski, L Schieve, EJ Simoes, F Vinicor,
H Wechsler, E Weiss, L Wilcox, P Wingo, and S Zaza.
We are grateful to Helen McClintock and Rick Hull for
editorial and technical assistance.

Author Information
Corresponding Author: George A. Mensah, MD,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Mail Stop K-40, 4770 Buford Hwy,
NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717. Telephone: 770-488-5401.
E-mail: [email protected].
Author Affiliations: Ali H. Mokdad, PhD, Chief,
Behavioral Surveillance Branch, Division of Adult and
Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP),
Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CoCHP),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Atlanta, Ga; Samuel F. Posner, PhD, Associate Director
for Science, Division of Reproductive Health, NCCDPHP,
CoCHP, CDC, Atlanta, Ga; Eddie Reed, MD, Director,
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, NCCDPHP,
CoCHP, CDC, Atlanta, Ga; Eduardo J. Simoes, MD, MSC,
MPH, Director, Prevention Research Centers, NCCDPHP,
CoCHP, CDC, Atlanta, Ga; Michael M. Engelgau, MD,
Division of Diabetes Translation, NCCDPHP, CoCHP,
CDC, Atlanta, Ga.

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The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only
and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.

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VOLUME 2: SPECIAL ISSUE

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The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only
and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/nov/05_0201.htm