Wildfires on Maui have had serious health and economic consequences

MAll Maui residents experienced a decline in their physical and mental health, along with a decline in their economic stability, following devastating wildfires that ravaged the island in 2023, according to new research from Hawaii.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii interviewed 679 people in January and February to study the impact of last year’s wildfires, which were the deadliest wildfires in the nation’s history in more than a century. Two-thirds of the study participants lived in Lahaina, a disaster-damaged city, at the time of the fires. Researchers shared initial results of Wednesday’s research, but they plan to continue the project for at least 10 years so they can conduct a long-term analysis of wildfire survivors.

Here are the key findings from the study so far.

Physical health and access to medical care

Nearly half of study participants said their health had worsened compared to the previous year. Researchers have noted that exposure to smoke, ash and debris is often associated with worse physical health outcomes. About 74% of participants are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

More than four in 10 respondents said they faced difficulties accessing medical care and medication, compared with about one in 10 before the fires. The survey also found that more than 13% of participants were uninsured – while nearly 38% of Hispanic participants reported having no insurance coverage.

“These health outcomes could further deteriorate if difficulties accessing health care and lack of health insurance are not addressed,” researchers said in the study.

See more information: What to know about wildfires on Maui

Mental health

Researchers also found a significant increase in depression since the fires — more than half of survey participants showed symptoms of depression, which is higher than state and local averages. Almost a third of participants reported symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety.

Housing

The majority of participants interviewed for the study did not live in the homes they lived in before the fire – only 34% of participants lived in their original homes. More than half of participants lived in temporary housing and 10% moved to new permanent housing.

See more information: Hawaii already had a huge homelessness problem. Wildfires on Maui are making everything worse

Income

About 74% of participants reported a reduction in household income, the study found. Almost half of the participants lost their jobs due to the wildfires and 20% of them were still unemployed when the survey was carried out.

Safe food

Almost half of families reported having low food security – rates higher than previously recorded, both locally and throughout Hawaii.

What researchers recommend

Based on their initial findings, researchers recommended that authorities increase access to health care and insurance coverage for people who were affected by the wildfires. They also recommended ensuring stable, long-term housing for people displaced by the fires and offering targeted support to those most affected by the disaster, including low-income families, food insecure families, people with disabilities and immigrants, among others. others.