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Reshaping US Navy Pacific Response in Mitigating Disaster Risk in South Pacific Island Nations: Adopting Community-Based Disaster Cycle Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Erik J. Reaves ,
Michael Termini Open the ORCID record for Michael Termini [Opens in a new window]  and
Frederick M. Burkle Jr.
Erik J. Reaves*
Affiliation:
US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Lima, Peru
Michael Termini
Affiliation:
US Naval Health Clinic Hawaii, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii USA
Frederick M. Burkle Jr.
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC USA
*
Correspondence: Erik J. Reaves, DO, MTM&H US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 Unit 3230 Box 337 DPO, AA 34031 Lima, Peru E-mail [email protected]
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Abstract

The US Department of Defense continues to deploy military assets for disaster relief and humanitarian actions around the world. These missions, carried out through geographically located Combatant Commands, represent an evolving role the US military is taking in health diplomacy, designed to enhance disaster preparedness and response capability. Oceania is a unique case, with most island nations experiencing “acute-on-chronic” environmental stresses defined by acute disaster events on top of the consequences of climate change. In all Pacific Island nation-states and territories, the symptoms of this process are seen in both short- and long-term health concerns and a deteriorating public health infrastructure. These factors tend to build on each other. To date, the US military's response to Oceania primarily has been to provide short-term humanitarian projects as part of Pacific Command humanitarian civic assistance missions, such as the annual Pacific Partnership, without necessarily improving local capacity or leaving behind relevant risk-reduction strategies. This report describes the assessment and implications on public health of large-scale humanitarian missions conducted by the US Navy in Oceania. Future opportunities will require the Department of Defense and its Combatant Commands to show meaningful strategies to implement ongoing, long-term, humanitarian activities that will build sustainable, host nation health system capacity and partnerships. This report recommends a community-centric approach that would better assist island nations in reducing disaster risk throughout the traditional disaster management cycle and defines a potential and crucial role of Department of Defense's assets and resources to be a more meaningful partner in disaster risk reduction and community capacity building.

Reaves EJ, Termini M, Burkle FM Jr. Reshaping US Navy Pacific Response in Mitigating Disaster Risk in South Pacific Island Nations: Adopting Community-Based Disaster Cycle Management. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(1):1-9 .

Keywords

capacity buildingcivil-militarycommunity-based carepublic health emergenciesPacific Islands
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 60 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2013 

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