Immediate Needs and Concerns among Pregnant Women During and after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

Conclusions This study investigated women’s concerns during and after the typhoon and presented a first-hand perspective on their problems at the same time. The pregnant women experienced difficulties with evacuation, a lack of minimum survival needs, and attending to their own and their families’ health issues. They used all means possible to survive, including cooperating with neighbors and relatives, using all their existing knowledge, and finding optimal ways to obtain the necessary goods and shelter for survival. It is crucial for pregnant women to receive accurate, rapid, and necessary information before and during the disaster. Community members should be familiarized with the sources of reliable information and methods to obtain such information. In disaster preparation, pregnant women need to understand the signs of premature labor and danger signs of pregnancy such as placenta abruption and pregnancy-induced hypertension, as well as how to handle them under such circumstances. Moreover, health staff should take responsibility for teaching pregnant women the required knowledge about pregnancy issues and relevant coping skills, including protecting children from diseases under disaster circumstances. These points must be addressed in disaster training programs.41,42 The results of this study might be useful to improve preparedness for future disasters and planning for reconstruction and recovery of public health systems after disasters. Competing Interests T...
Source: PLOS Currents Disasters - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Source Type: research