In this presentation, Joe Cuthbertson reviews the impact of drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide in Australia through the lens of disaster risk reduction. Can they be considered as disasters themselves according to thresholds and definitions? Can contemporary health emergency and disaster risk management (HEDRM) practice be adapted to support action to reduce the impact of these events and inform disaster risk reduction?

Some types of societal disruption can result in health threats and impacts not usually associated with emergency or disaster management frameworks. These frameworks are most commonly aligned to disaster definitions that are largely oriented towards predefined rapid onset hazards, often causing disasters. Disaster risk management is primarily informed by historical data that may not be sensitive to societal disruptions or non-traditional health threats.

Presented by: Joe Cuthbertson

Joe is the General Manager of Clinical and Operational Excellence for St John Ambulance Service WA. Overseeing State ambulance disaster and emergency preparedness, critical care rotary wing retrieval, and pre-hospital special operations. He is also a Board Member of the World Association Disaster and Emergency Medicine organization. He has worked as a paramedic for over 20 years in disaster and emergency management, critical care, flight/retrieval, governance and patient quality and safety.