Table 1.

Recommendations for health impact assessment in response to environmental disasters

1. Development of national framework for public health assessments Framework should include legal and ethical mechanisms, funding, and execution of scientifically rigorous studies and communication of results.

2. Funding sources Need for establishing a funding mechanism including scope and source of funding, application, review process and turnaround time for assessment of health effects of environmental disasters.

3. Protocols and assessment tools repository Repository of protocols and validated tools adapted to the local settings would reduce the lead time to an investigation and enhance the quality of collected data.

4. Collaborations and capacity building A portal for connecting scientists and laboratories from north and south could enhance overall research response and its quality. Training of scientists in disaster response research is also important to develop and maintain human resources to rapidly conduct disaster response studies.

5. Value of research Research should generate knowledge that is useful for immediate mitigation of exposures and health effects among those affected by spill and involved in clean-up efforts.

6. Community engagement and communication Research should engage community in developing research response and should also evaluate various communication and engagement strategies. Use of social media tools could enhance engagement and communication.