By: Alanna Shaikh
Right now, estimates for the final death toll of Japan’s earthquake and the aftershocks and tsunamis that followed run between 10,000 and 20,000. That’s a hideous number; a tragedy and a catastrophe that will affect Japan for generations. But the estimates of Haitian deaths are at 230,000 – 250,000, and the earthquake in Japan was 100 times stronger than the earthquake in Haiti.
Both earthquakes hit populous island nations, and were followed by aftershocks, although Japan’s aftershocks have been much worse and there was also a tsunami. What made the difference? Why did Japan fare so much better? Building codes.
Well, not just building codes – although that is a big part of it – but also earthquake preparedness, prompt emergency response, and good infrastructure. In other words, government. Good government that was ready for an emergency and acted well when that emergency occurred.
We don’t normally think about building codes and health, but these two earthquakes demonstrate that the linkages are pretty powerful.
Government regulation isn’t just important for disaster response. It matters for all kinds of health, including infectious diseases like Neglected tropical Diseases (NTDs).
