Characteristics of natural disaster-related death and injury in Viet Nam from 2000 to 2012

Abstract

This study analyzed data included in the database of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC) to describe some epidemiological characteristics of natural disaster-related deaths and injuries during the period between 2000 and 2012 in Viet Nam. Findings: from 2000-2012, natural disasters caused 4,765 deaths and 7,812 injuries. Flood-related deaths accounted for 59.4%; storm-related deaths accounted for 21.1%; flash flood caused 11.5% and other natural disaster caused 7.7% of the total deaths. Mekong Delta region contributed 34.0% of the total number of deaths, followed by the South Central region with 23.4%. Among 321 deaths with demographical characteristics, males accounted for 69.7%. Regarding the age group feature, 20.7% of the deaths were in the age group of 15-24 years and 19.5% were in the age group of above 55 years. Common circumstances of deaths include: sailing through flooded areas (20.7%) and collecting assets in the flooded water (13.3%). Current database on natural-related deaths in Viet Nam does not provide sufficient information to have a complete picture on epidemiological characteristics of the deaths and injuries. The study findings suggest that it is necessary to improve the recording and reporting system in Viet Nam on death and injury in particular,  and health consequences of natural disasters in general.