Disaster Resilience in Dominica

Hurricane Maria struck Dominica in September 2017, causing overwhelming damage to the health system and infrastructure. Noncommunicable disease deaths are known to increase after disasters, but this has not been previously correlated with geographic risk factors. In collaboration with the Dominica Ministry of Health and Sickle Cell Cares Foundation Dominica, Global Health Program fellow, Ned Palmer, MD, worked to assess the effects of this humanitarian crisis on noncommunicable disease outcomes for the population of the island. Using geographic information systems (GIS) technology, this project catalogued and mapped the location of deaths before and after the hurricane to identify geospatial risk factors related to mortality. This research provided an evidentiary backbone for disaster planning in Dominica. Other objectives included compiling fragmented data sources and facilitating open access of geospatial data to all partners. The results from this research were used to help Dominica and other countries prevent excess mortality and address geospatial barriers by preparing for future disruptions in healthcare delivery during natural disasters.