The COVID-19 pandemic response and its impact on post-corona health emergency and disaster risk management in Italy

Alessandro Lamberti-Castronuovo; Emanuela Parotto; Francesco Della Corte; Ives Hubloue; Luca Ragazzoni; Martina Valente

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1034196

The COVID-19 pandemic response and its impact on post-corona health emergency and disaster risk management in Italy

Front Public Health. 2022 Oct 31:10:1034196. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1034196. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Alessandro Lamberti-Castronuovo^{1

2}, Emanuela Parotto³, Francesco Della Corte^{1

4}, Ives Hubloue⁵, Luca Ragazzoni^{1

2}, Martina Valente^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ CRIMEDIM-Center for Research and Training in Disaster Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Global Health, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
² Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy.
³ Department of Surgery DIDAS, Azienda Ospedale Università, Padova, Italy.
⁴ Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
⁵ Research Group on Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted societies, influencing countries' Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (H-EDRM) systems. By taking Italy as a case study, this research aimed to investigate the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the changes made to the existing H-EDRM system, with an emphasis on human resources, health service delivery, and logistics and the forward-looking strategies for the next health emergencies and disasters.

Methods: We performed a retrospective observational case study using qualitative methodology. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed considering the World Health Organization (WHO) H-EDRM framework. Multiple interviewees were selected to obtain a holistic perspective on the Italian response to COVID-19. Stakeholders from five different sectors (policy-making, hospital, primary care, third sector, lay community) from three of the most impacted Italian regions (Piemonte, Lombardia, and Veneto) were interviewed, for a total of 15 respondents.

Results: Results on human resources revolved around the following main themes: personnel, training, occupational health, and multidisciplinary work; results on health service delivery encompassed the following main themes: public health, hospital, and primary care systems; results on logistics dealt with the following themes: infrastructures, supplies, transports, and communication channels. Lessons learned stressed on the importance of considering pragmatic disaster preparedness strategies and the need for cultural and structural reforms. Stakeholders mentioned several implications for the post-pandemic H-EDRM system in Italy.

Conclusions: Findings highlight that the interconnection of sectors is key in overcoming pandemic-related challenges and for future disaster preparedness. The implications for the Italian H-EDRM system can inform advancements in disaster management in Italy and beyond.

Keywords: COVID-19; H-EDRM; Italy; disaster response; qualitative research.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Disasters*
Humans
Italy / epidemiology
Pandemics
Retrospective Studies
Risk Management