Training health volunteers for disasters caused by natural hazards in Iran
Citation: Amini FF, Hidarnia AA, Ghofranipour FF, et al. Determinants of health volunteer training in natural hazard management in Iran. Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 2023;15(1):1384.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: The authors reported no external funding for this review.
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for publications about factors that influenced the training of healthcare volunteers for disasters caused by natural hazards in Iran. They restricted their searches to articles published in English between 2010 and 2020. The authors found 24 articles that met their criteria for methodology, sample size, and methods.
What was found: Effective disaster education, preparedness initiatives, and dissemination of disaster information were essential components to reduce casualties and minimise damage from disasters caused by natural hazards. Training provided individuals with insights into disaster risks and preventive measures. Simulated learning was a potent alternative that enhanced public readiness without direct exposure to a disaster.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that despite several studies, questions remain unanswered about disaster education. They recommended that experienced professionals develop effective disaster preparedness programmes and materials, and emphasised the importance of ongoing research.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence and education.
This summary was prepared by Maya Magdy Abdelwahab, checked by Ana Beatriz Pizarro, and finalized by William Summerskill.