Completed Site - Dangzheng Village

Profile

Details

Geographic location

Dangzheng Village, Hui County, Longnan City, Gansu Province

Ethnic group / Proportion of a specific ethnic group among the local population

Han / 100%

Annual Household Income

RMB2,000

Common natural disasters

Flooding and landslides

Number of subgroups in village

5

Number of households in village

300

Total population in village

800

Specific Public Health Issues 

The major public health concerns in this village are waste management, water quality, dietary pattern and mental health. Illnesses associated with stomach were found to be a major health issue among older people, with water quality and dietary pattern being suspicious causes. Furthermore, early symptoms of mental health illness such as feeling nervous, anxious and depressed were found among villagers due to poverty and recent disasters, alongside with poor sleeping quality. These could further develop into severe mental illnesses.

Disaster Profile

The most common reported disasters are intense rainfall and subsequent floods and landslides. The consequences led to the loss of cash crops due to torrents right before harvest. Villagers have comparatively poor disaster preparedness due to limited resources, as well as a lack of resilience enhancement measures implemented by the local government.

Photo Gallery 

In the Field

Health Needs Assessment

To collect relevant information of the human health impact of disasters for examining the potential health issues, risks and health needs associated with the location, the health needs assessment team conducted field-based focus group discussions, interviews with the village doctor and the village healthcare provider, technical review of environment and health survey assessments.

Health Intervention

Interventions were carried out on topics like teeth-brushing, hand-washing and waste management to students between 6 and 15 years old. A waste collection event was also held to mobilise the local villagers to clean up the trash in the village. The team also conducted household health surveys about villagers’ lifestyles and practices on waste management and obtained 38 completed household questionnaires for analysis.

 

Map