Eric Noji, a triage physician, epidemiology and tropical disease specialist, called for the U.S. government to put a mechanism in place to go beyond spending money when a natural disaster occurs in a speech at the Korbel School of International Studies last Thursday.

About 50 students attended Noji’s lecture, where he said the response to Hurricane Katrina was an example of a “landmark event” in which the U.S. government failed to efficiently respond to a disaster because of its lack of preparation. He said the hurricane marked the first occasion in U.S. history during which the government received a massive influx of volunteers – both foreign and domestic.

However, because there was no precedence set, “We had no mechanism to accept foreign volunteers, equipment or medications,” said Noji.

He said the United States lacks a methodology to cope effectively not only with disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, but also with biological attacks that  might be used by terrorists.  He suggested the government put a contingency plan into action that is able to cope with disaster volunteers and aid more effectively.  

“With Katrina, we gained recognition and made changes,” said clinical associate professor Chen Reis, who introduced Noji. “The learning aspect of a negative experience is an extremely positive thing.”

Noji also said there were other publicized issues of mass concern the government needed to be more prepared for in addition to the aftermath of Katrina, including the anthrax scare and the destruction in Joplin, MO caused by a series of tornadoes.

“What does the federal government do when something goes wrong?” said Noji. “They throw money at the problem as all these pressures come to bear. Still, there is no correlation between the amount of money a program has and its success when success is defined as the number of lives saved or lifetime disabilities avoided.”

Noji said it’s important for any government to learn from its mistakes.

“The history of legislation doesn’t occur in a gradual, evolutionary fashion,” he said. “It takes disasters, such as 9/11 to re-write a law and re-establish a new department.”

Noji also said people in the U.S. needs to take into account that disasters occur all over the world every day.

“People ignore unbelievable tragedies and catastrophes happening very close by every day,” said Noji. “Only recently this country’s foreign policy has taken into consideration the recognition of disease, with regard to the country’s foreign policy adds to how the U.S. achieves influence and support in the world.”

Noji worked with the federal government and the United Nations to provide both domestic and international service in areas of toxicology, industrial and technological aid and disaster relief, terrorism, civil war and conflict response. Noji also said he was assigned to the new office of homeland security in late 2001 along with prominent DU alumna, Condelleza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State.

Noji also maintained a 20-year career in public health at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  He served as Director of Global Health Intelligence for Emergencies within the World Health Organization’s Department of Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Some of the students in the room are focusing on development, global health issues, security and humanitarian effort,” said Reis. “Because of his extensive career, he can touch on these issues and experiences that have relevance for a large range.”  

Senior Tanya Nathan attended the presentation with her international studies class called, “Disasters, Hazards and Response” taught by Maureen Louis Mersmann.

“Our course has been focusing on the dramatic impact natural and human disasters have on the environment and society, and this presentation was an opportunity to hear from someone who deals with these situations first hand,” said Nathan.

Though a great deal of his presentation content raised challenging issues, Reis stressed the positive impact.

“With the right people in the right places, you can get things done and can learn from previous mistakes,” she said.