A Model for Controlling the Outbreak of Water and Foodborne Diseases after Natural Disasters

After natural disasters the likelihood of outbreak of infectious diseases especially water and foodborne diseases, increases due to population displacement, increasing risk factors, environmental changes, changing living conditions and increasing vulnerability to pathogens. This research was conducted with the aim of designing a model for controlling the outbreak of water and foodborne diseases after natural disasters in Iran.

This study is an applied research that was done in mixed methods and seven stages. The first stage was conducted as a descriptive cross-sectional study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the initial model. Data were analyzed by SPSS23 and LISREL9.1 software. The relations of variables were extracted by using structural equation modeling (SEM) and the validity of the model was confirmed.

Generally, 6 factors have been identified that affect the control of the outbreak of water and foodborne diseases after natural disasters, including: human resources, syndromic surveillance system, management, public education, logistics and equipment, and national program.

Developing policies and guidelines at a national level, planning and determining the resources and local management structure, increasing knowledge and improving attitudes and skills at individual level, situational analysis, providing resources and equipment based on type of risk, continuous education and exercises, reinforcement syndromic surveillance system order to manage and control the outbreak of water and foodborne diseases after natural disasters, can be considered as proposed strategy.