New book chapter : Disaster and Health What Makes a Country Resilient?

Resilience reflects the capability of communities and individuals to resist, cope with, and continue functioning during and after a disaster. Evidence from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami suggest that maintaining community social interactions is especially important to enhance community resilience. Economic crisis is another type of disaster that challenges population health, and may affect privileged social groups, e.g. corporate managers. In the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, health risks for the children of impoverished households and single-parent households increased. Community preparedness and adequate social capital before disasters is important to build resilient communities. With routine monitoring of health conditions across subpopulations, we can identify groups in need of support and assess the effects of those actions. It is crucial that central government measures align with local actions to maximize support for communities affected by disaster.