Children, pregnant women, elderly people, malnourished people, and people who are ill or immunocompromised, are particularly vulnerable when a disaster strikes, and take a relatively high share of the disease burden associated with emergencies. Poverty – and its common consequences such as malnutrition, homelessness, poor housing and destitution – is a major contributor to vulnerability.
The following resources deal specifically with the environmental health issues affecting vulnerable groups.
Children's health and the environment - a global perspective.A resource manual for the health sector (2005)
- WHO resources on mental health in emergencies
- Child and adolescent health and development
- Children's environmental health
- Healthy Environments for Children Alliance (HECA)
- Human rights
- Mental health