Background: Flood disasters are projected to increase in severity, duration, and frequency in the context of climate change, and the risks of mortality and morbidity may increase after floods, which will overwhelm health systems.
Objective: This study aims to synthesize current epidemiological evidence about the impacts of floods on mortality and morbidity.
Method: After performing a systematic literature search from 2000 to 2023, we included studies involving human participants, with exposures of floods, and with outcomes of mortality or morbidity.
Results: In total, 37 studies were included in evidence syntheses. Meta-analyses yielded an overall relative risk of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10, 1.46), 1.10 (1.08, 1.13), 1.11 (1.04, 1.20), and 1.38 (1.18, 1.62) for all-cause mortality and morbidities of overall gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhea diseases, and dysentery, respectively. Although meta-analyses were not conducted, evidence from at least three studies consistently supported that exposure to floods was associated with increased risks of malaria and respiratory diseases. The evidence for other outcomes was reported but either limited or uncertain.
Conclusion: This study suggests that exposure to floods is associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality and morbidities of overall gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhea diseases, dysentery, malaria, and respiratory diseases, while further research is urgently called.
Keywords: Disaster; Flood; Human health; Risk assessment; Systematic review.
Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.