University of Hawai’i researchers were awarded over $2 million to support the next phase of a Maui wildfire study.
The Maui Learnings to Overcome Adversities study, or Maui LOA, examines long-term impacts of the 2023 wildfires and seeks to improve post-disaster well-being.
Alex Ortega is a study co-lead and dean of the UH Mānoa Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health.
He said that Maui LOA focuses on the human community health system side of recovery, which includes mental health, access to services, social support, resilience, and preparedness for future disasters.
"The ultimate goal of the phase two study is to generate evidence that can help Maui prepare for future disasters and strengthen both community and health system resilience on Maui, but also, it can inform other communities that are going through similar kinds of disasters," Ortega said.
The grant is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The study is different but complementary to the UH Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, which is halted due to a lack of funding and focuses on environmental exposure and the physical effects of the wildfires.
Phase one of the Maui LOA study found that mental health impacts extended across Maui, not just in the burn zones.
Phase two will last three years and survey 1,200 fire-impacted adults to learn more about barriers to health services, what led to increased health risks and how health care services were utilized before and after the fire.
