Resource-Poor Populations

The Promising Practices

North Carolina Pandemic Flu Program

Old North State Medical Society
Durham, NC

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Public Health Promotores

City of El Paso Department of Public Health
El Paso, TX

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Vulnerable Populations Action Team

Seattle King County Public Health
Seattle, WA

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Emergency, Community and Health Outreach (ECHO)

Association of Minnesota Counties
St. Paul, MN

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Emergency Supply Kits for Homebound Elderly Residents

The Aging Services Council of Central Texas
Austin, TX

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Kentucky Outreach and Information Network (KOIN)

Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Frankfort, KY

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New Mexico Tribal Outreach for Pandemic Planning

New Mexico Department of Health
Santa Fe, NM

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Overview

When a disaster occurs, people who will be hardest hit are those who are already struggling to meet the material needs of their families. Less disposable income, low education, a lack of personal transportation options, and fewer economic opportunities are all reasons why people with limited material resources face greater risks in an emergency. As a result, these groups face a number of specific challenges to public health emergency preparedness that public health agencies and other organizations can address including:

  • Fewer transportation and evacuation options;
  • Lack of material resources and individual-level preparedness;
  • Communication challenges;
  • Skepticism of government; and
  • Post-disaster scams.

Resource-poor populations are also more likely to be found among other special needs populations including racial and ethnic minorities, rural populations, and the elderly. Thus, strategies used to address the needs of these other groups may also be applicable to resource poor populations.

Strategies and Resources for Addressing the Public Health Emergency Needs of Resource-Poor Populations

Why is this group at greater risk? How can planners help this group? What resources are available to help?
Transportation concerns
  1. Develop plans for identifying, ahead of time if possible, people needing assistance to evacuate
  2. Develop a memorandum of understanding/agreement (MOU/MOA) with transportation companies that can be used if the frail and elderly need to be evacuated

View PDFMOU Between Maine Emergency Management and Maine Motor Transport Association
Lack of material resources and individual-level preparedness
  1. Provide pre-made home disaster kits for low-income populations
  2. Provide preparedness materials to advocacy organizations, service agencies, and support groups that are specific to the population they serve and can be freely distributed
  3. Create evacuation plans that do not rely on individual resources such as car ownership, or personal finances for temporary housing
  4. Plan for longer-term food, shelter, clothing, and medical needs of recovering minority populations

National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities

View PDFFEMA – Citizen Preparedness Guide
Communication challenges
  1. Conduct an assessment of communication needs and capabilities in your community
  2. Develop a local network to help ensure that everyone, particularly those people with special needs, are cared for in an emergency
  3. Tailor messages to persons with low literacy by using audio and visual aids
  4. Rely on existing communication/social networks and people to convey critical public health information

Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) Network

Emergency, Community and Health Outreach Program (ECHO)
Skepticism of government
  1. Study how people in the community are likely to respond to potential public health orders or recommendations
  2. Identify trusted messengers and information networks and use them to convey public health warnings and directives

New Mexico Tribal Outreach for Pandemic Planning

Public Health Promotores
Post-disaster scams
  1. Educate the population about how to avoid scams
  2. Communicate information about legitimate disaster-related resources to reduce the risk of the population falling victim to fraudulent recovery
  3. Build a network of community-based organizations to rapidly share information about scams that are being perpetrated in the wake of an emergency

Better Business Bureau – After Natural Disasters … Post-Disaster Scams

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Resource-Poor Populations