Elementary Survival Medicine

ELEMENTARY SURVIVAL MEDICINE A WORLD AT RISK There is constant turbulence worldwide. Low-probability, high-impact events are a fact of life. What happens if our society and critical infrastructure are unexpectedly disrupted by man made or natural disasters, e.g. (cyber) terrorism, volcanic eruptions, floods, armed conflicts or pandemics such as caused by the recent COVID-19 virus? Vulnerability is heightened by a novel convergence of ecological, political, economic and social trends including population growth, increased urbanisation, a globally integrated economy, widespread and faster travel, conflict, migration and climate change. One crisis leads to another like falling dominoes. If all crises occur simultaneously, it is “the Perfect Storm”. Society will be in complete turmoil. We have already created “a perfect storm” for the emergence of diseases from wildlife to spill over into humans and spread quickly around the world. Virologists, epidemiologists and ecologists have warned for decades that our behaviour - particularly deforestation and our encroachment on diverse wildlife habitats - is helping diseases to spread from animals into humans more frequently. New diseases pop up in the human population probably three to four times per year, not just in Asia or Africa, but in Europe and the US as well. More pandemics are on the way. The world is at acute risk for devastating regional or global disease epidemics or pandemics that not only cause loss of life but upend economies and create social chaos. A global pandemic will be catastrophic, creating widespread havoc, instability and insecurity. The world is not prepared. Individual humans look for protection from disasters to governments and, if they can afford it, insurers. The world’s governments reveal instead a preference to ignore them until forced to react—even when foresight’s price-tag is small. It is an abdication of responsibility and a betrayal of the future. COVID-19 offers a tragic example. Most countries were caught completely off guard and did not have any plans. Because of all this, trust in institutions is eroding. And in case of a crippling cyber attack, authorities and infrastructure will grind to a halt. Private business may take some steps when it perceives specific risks, but it will not put together plans for society at large. My mission is to strengthen your own ability to deal with constantly changing circumstances, “the unexpected” and disaster situations, both as an individual and as a member of a group. An organisation is only as strong as the weakest link. When individual self reliance is strengthened, the resilience of the whole group increases. Featuring QR codes to instructional videos, Elementary Survival Medicine is richly illustrated with photos and drawings, 365 pages. Christo Motz is a Dutch international expert on hostile environment capabilities & resilience. He has worked in this field since 1999. Presently, he advises international companies, government organisations and bodies within the charity and development sector on how they can develop their ability to operate safely and successfully in hostile environments, and to manage crisis situations effectively. He has shared his experiences and delivered training throughout the world, especially in challenging environments.