Devastating earthquake in Turkey: a call for global action

Abstract

An earthquake is a natural phenomenon like wind and rain. It is a sudden and rapid shaking of the earth caused by the release of energy stored in rocks. Earthquakes have occurred for billions of years in some parts of the world, especially in African, European, and Mediterranean regions. Many stories along the history of man show the considerable impact they have had on human lives and property. Earthquakes are the most terrifying and destructive among the other natural phenomena like rain or wind [1] . A country like Turkey is a natural laboratory for earth sciences covering one of the most active regions on the earth prone to seismic effects. Due to the complex plate interaction among Arabia, Eurasia, and Africa, there are different fault systems in Anatolia and the surrounding region. The North Anatolian Fault System (NAFS) and the East Anatolian Fault System (EAFS) are the main strike-slip fault belts in Turkey. These fault systems facilitate the westward escape of the Anatolian micro-plate. Normal fault systems are dominant in western and central Anatolia because of the north-south extensional regime in the Aegean [2] .On February 6, 2023, in the early hours of Monday, a strong earthquake slammed the southeastern part of Turkey close to the Syrian border, killing more than 4000 people and injuring thousands more [3] . The extraordinary magnitude earthquake

Rising tides, rising concerns: the impacts of flooding on healthcare in Buea city in Cameroon

“…in an implementable way. Research studies have shown that awareness campaigns can go a long way in mitigating health issues and other environmental problems, for example, flooding [1,29,34,39] . Research has shown that flooding is a risk factor for waterborne and vector-borne diseases, for example, Malaria [2] .…”

“…All over the world, flooding is known to cause significant damage to people's lives, belongings and properties [25] . Statistics show that flooding causes one-third of deaths, one-third of all injuries and one-third of all damage from natural disasters, such as earthquakes [1,22,25] . The scale of the impact of flooding is dependent upon the vulnerability of the environment and the local population, and the people living in Buea are particularly susceptible to the adverse outcomes.…”

“…Flooding is a natural disaster like an earthquake [1] . It has been described as a phenomenon that is a part of Earth's biophysical processes.…”

Devastating health issues caused by Sudan crisis in 2023: a call for global action

“…Furthermore, we recommend the World Medical Association (WMA) in partnership with respective medical associations worldwide such as; the National Medical Associations (NMA), including Medical Students Associations (MSAs) to deploy medical experts, health volunteers, medical students, nurses, psychologists, social workers, etc 11 ,. to Sudan as soon as possible to treat the injured individuals as well providing psychological supports to the affected victims, therein, prevent further injuries and complications as a result of the crisis.…”

“…Furthermore, we recommend the World Medical Association (WMA) in partnership with respective medical associations worldwide such as; the National Medical Associations (NMA), including Medical Students Associations (MSAs) to deploy medical experts, health volunteers, medical students, nurses, psychologists, social workers, etc. [11] , to Sudan as soon as possible to treat the injured individuals as well providing psychological supports to the affected victims, therein, prevent further injuries and complications as a result of the crisis. Also, various nongovernmental organizations and Amnesty organizations and philanthropists the world should provide relief aid, palliations as well as moral supports, etc., for the Sudanese during this hardship as these would go a long way to restore their lost healthy state.…”