Stop propagating disaster myths

The international response to the tragic earthquake in Turkey, the recent cyclone in India, and other natural disasters such as the floods in Venezuela highlights the need to reassess the myths and realities surrounding disasters, and to find ways to stop these destructive tales.

By Claude de Ville de Goyet *

For copyright reasons, this article is not available on the MMS website, but only in the printed edition of our Bulletin. Please refer to: The Lancet - Vol. 356, Issue 9231, 26 August 2000, Pages 762-764 (free registration required).

*Claude de Ville de Goyet, former Head of the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination Program, PAHO/WHO, Washington, DC 20037, USA