Table 3 Shelter related issues and their impact on the health of occupants
From: A review of the impact of shelter design on the health of displaced populations
Shelter indoor environment issue | Potential shelter design issue | Potential health issue |
|---|---|---|
Dampness and moulda | Lack of adequate materials (especially insulation) Lack of adequate ventilation Low indoor temperatures | Asthma Common cold and cough Colds Eye irritation Possible respiratory infection |
High indoor temperatures | Shelter material Shelter construction Use of open stove | Health issues are not well defined as the exposure to high indoor temperatures has never been investigated. Even if there is no direct evidence on the health outcomes associated with high indoor temperatures, these are linked to increase of mortality and issue to the cardiovascular and immune system |
Lack of adequate ventilation | Small window dimension, wrong ventilation strategy | Eye irritation Airborne infections |
Low indoor temperatures | Shelter material Shelter construction | Asthma Increased respiratory morbidity High blood pressure |
Overcrowding | Inadequate shelter dimension Inadequate relationship between number of occupants and floor area | Infectious diseases: Respiratory infection Tuberculosis Diarrheal diseases Poor mental health Sleep deprivation |
Poor indoor air quality | Small window dimension, wrong ventilation strategy. Presence of open stove in the shelter | Allergies Eye and skin irritation Airborne diseases Cardiovascular diseases |