{"id":202951,"date":"2024-09-03T07:45:47","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T17:45:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=202951"},"modified":"2024-09-02T09:13:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T19:13:17","slug":"state-additional-funding-maui-wes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/03\/state-additional-funding-maui-wes\/","title":{"rendered":"State adds $2.3M<\/abbr> to Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, launches survivor registry"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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One of the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study events in 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To expand its efforts in understanding and addressing the long-term health and social impacts of the devastating Maui wildfires, the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES<\/abbr>)<\/a> has just received an additional $2.3 million in funding from the State of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

This funding boost will allow the study to increase its participant base to 2,000 individuals, with a focus on including children and first responders, and to build the infrastructure for a comprehensive survivor registry targeting up to 10,000 survivors.<\/p>\n

The study, led by researchers from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a>, offers comprehensive health screenings and enrolls affected individuals into the most extensive social and bio-monitoring study in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> following a disaster.<\/p>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Gov<\/abbr>. Josh Green, expressed strong support for the expansion and the registry initiative.<\/p>\n

“As we move past the one-year anniversary of the worst disaster in the state of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, our commitment to the people of Maui remains steadfast,” Green said. “The MauiWES<\/abbr> has demonstrated the need to address some health challenges of people affected by the disaster. The creation of this survivor registry is a crucial step in ensuring that we leave no one behind, including our keiki (children) and those who risked their lives as first responders. By supporting this academic-community partnership, we are laying the groundwork for a healthier future for all impacted by these tragic events.”<\/p>\n

MauiWES<\/abbr> has published one of the most comprehensive reports<\/a> to date on the social and health impacts of the August 2023 wildfires. The expansion aims to deepen the understanding of both acute and chronic health effects of the fires across diverse populations, including the long-term impacts on younger residents and those who played critical roles in emergency response.<\/p>\n

Importance of the survivor registry<\/h2>\n

The survivor registry<\/a> is designed to track the wildfires\u2019 long-term health and social effects by passively monitoring participants over several years. This approach is critical because it allows researchers to identify trends and health outcomes that may not be immediately apparent, but can have significant impacts on the well-being of affected individuals over time.<\/p>\n