The Impact of Chronic Diseases on the Quality of Life among Elderly Survivors from Earthquake in- Northern Thailand

Abstract

Recently, all nations in the world are faced with the growth of number and proportion of aged people [1]. United Nations Population Fund reported that elderly population built up 12.3% of the world population, and that that number will rise to approximately 22% per cent by 2050 [2]. According to the increase of aged population, health status score among elders in each country in the world has declined with age, as expected. Elderly women have lived longer than elderly men on average, but have had poorer health status. In addition, the number of disabled people in most developing countries seems to rise as the number of elder people continues to grow [3]. With regard to climate change, most countries in the world are concerned with disaster. In 2015, World Conference on Disaster Reduction with convening support from the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) was held in order to focus on world awareness and commitment to address the landscape alteration of natural disasters [4]. According to the disaster preparedness from the UN, government sectors and networks of individuals are strategized on how to improve the preparation for disasters. However, in Thailand the disaster preparedness had not been strategized, until the earthquake occurred in Northern Thailand in 2014 [5]. On 5th May 2014, the 6.3 magnitude quake battered the Northern part of Thailand, Abstract