ABSTRACT
The presentation of an epidemic in a DRR perspective opens the implementation of multiple solutions to protect the most important utilitarian values. This exceeds the classical public health dimension of an epidemic response when human life and health are primarily important but relations with property and environmental conditions (in the range significant from human survival and existence points of view) are missed. The idea seems to constitute a bridge connecting specified epidemiological knowledge with the needs of epidemic responders (paying special attention on public administration, non-epidemic public services, non-governmental organizations, etc.) who want to be familiar with basic epidemiological terms, phenomena, and mechanisms as well as to be able to use the knowledge in designing effective and adequate civil protection operations. The research results indicate next gaps in epidemic, DRR, and civil protection knowledge. The most noticeable gap is stated by the environmental effects of an epidemic. It is connected with control mechanisms that can be used to influence the natural environment to reduce the epidemic risk, nowadays and in the future. Such understanding could improve the conditions to protect human life and health in a sustainable way, respecting the current strategic directions of the world development.
