Scientific development of the concept of disaster medicine as an effective measure to prevent negative consequences of natural disasters

Abstract

Literature data on the scientific development of the concept of disaster medicine, which began about five decades ago, are analyzed. Various disciplines such as public health, emergency medical services, emergency medicine and military medicine work within the framework of disaster medicine. Disaster medicine aims to ensure that public health services and facilities are functional both before and after disasters in order to prevent and reduce the adverse health effects on societies facing disaster risks. It is a discipline with slow scientific progress due to its unclearly systematized interdisciplinary structure and fields of study. However, important goals for disaster medicine have been specified in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 published by the United Nations. Among the global goals of disaster medicine are to reduce the number of deaths and injuries, reduce the number of people affected, strengthen the infrastructure of critical facilities, and ensure the sustainable functioning of these facilities during disasters. To achieve these goals, disaster medicine is expected to grow rapidly both institutionally and academically. Disaster medicine is a global, mass, administrative, and doctrinal discipline that extends beyond clinical research. In particular, the development and dissemination of education in disaster medicine was first emphasized in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which was adopted globally in 2015. It is believed that the discipline of disaster medicine will reach the peak of development by 2030. At present, the development and improvement of disaster medicine knowledge system is one of the priority areas. Disaster medicine is a new and comprehensive discipline that covers a broad area of practice and research and includes medical disciplines such as emergency medicine, trauma medicine and public health and health care, as well as disaster management covering non-medical issues such as communications, logistics and transportation. Disaster medicine is a field that requires specialized training to interact with the many agencies working for disaster management.