Lessons from the catastrophic floods in southern Brazil: geographic and environmental factors, vulnerabilities, and the resilience of nephrology services during natural disasters.
Dirceu Reis Silva, Lucas Gobetti da Luz, José A Moura-Neto
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Abstract
Purpose of review: In April and May of 2024, the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil faced one of the most devastating natural disasters in its history. Torrential rains caused catastrophic flooding, affecting over 2.4 million people and damaging critical infrastructure. Among the most vulnerable were individuals with chronic kidney disease, particularly those dependent on dialysis or immunosuppressive therapy following kidney transplantation. This narrative report describes the impact of the floods on nephrology services, highlights systemic vulnerabilities, and outlines the responses by the Brazilian Society of Nephrology, healthcare providers, government authorities and other stakeholders.
Recent findings: Drawing on field reports and institutional data, the article details breakdowns in transportation, communication, water and power supply, and the cascading challenges affecting dialysis provision. It also documents mitigation efforts, including patient relocation, resource reallocation, inter-institutional collaboration, and telemedicine deployment. Although no deaths due to lack of dialysis were reported, the crisis exposed the fragility of health service continuity in extreme events.
Summary: This event underscores the urgent need to incorporate disaster preparedness into nephrology service planning. Strategies must be tailored to the specific geographic and infrastructural contexts of each region and integrated into broader public health emergency frameworks. The lessons learned offer valuable insights for strengthening healthcare system resilience in the face of climate-related disasters.
期刊介绍：
A reader-friendly resource, Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension provides an up-to-date account of the most important advances in the field of nephrology and hypertension. Each issue contains either two or three sections delivering a diverse and comprehensive coverage of all the key issues, including pathophysiology of hypertension, circulation and hemodynamics, and clinical nephrology. Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension is an indispensable journal for the busy clinician, researcher or student.
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