ABSTRACT
The link between disaster management and health systems is twofold. Firstly, a disaster will have a major impact on a health system: directly increasing the disease burden, through illness or trauma caused by the hazard; or as a result of secondary hazards confronted during response and recovery phases, exemplified by outbreaks of infectious disease or mental illness. Secondly, the health impacts can also be indirect, where the capacity of the health system to respond to disease is impeded due to infrastructure damage or loss of resources, including staff.
