HHI Works Closely with the American Red Cross & Other Relief Agencies in
Hurricane Katrina Response
For immediate release: September, 2005
Hurricane Katrina passed through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on August 29th, 2005. In
its aftermath, the poor living conditions in the hard-hit areas and shelters were of great concern;
central among the key issues were public health matters, including risks arising from the situation
in the Superdome, the Astrodome, and the shelters around the region as well as risks associated
with the remaining standing water in New Orleans and other locations.
Given the urgent need for seasoned medical and public health professionals to work with relief
agencies in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI)
mobilized teams of specialized personnel to the field. These teams worked alongside the
American Red Cross, Oxfam America, the National Disaster Medical Service, and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
HHI faculty worked closely with leadership from the American Red Cross (ARC) at its
headquarters in Washington, DC to develop, task, and support their new Public Health Unit. HHI
also coordinated the deployment of twenty physicians and nurses, including Harvard School of
Public Health faculty, students, fellows, and alumni to shelters. These people conducted public
health assessments in shelters in Mississippi and Alabama, with one team focusing on mental
health issues. HHI also developed field surveillance tools for health screening and triage in ARC
shelters. In addition, HHI Co-director Dr. Jennifer Leaning provided witness testimony as part of a
roundtable discussion, “Hurricane Katrina: Rebuilding Lives and Communities,” before the U.S.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.