$2.2M grant funds next phase of Maui wildfire recovery study

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Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa were awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the next phase of the Maui LOA (Learnings to Overcome Adversities) study, which examines the long-term impacts of the 2023 Maui wildfires and factors that influence health and well-being after disasters.

The three-year award is led by Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, and Keawe Kaholokula, chair and professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).

"The first phase of Maui LOA revealed important lessons about the health and mental health consequences of the wildfires," said Ortega. "With NIH's continued support, we can now translate those lessons into evidence-based strategies that improve disaster preparedness, recovery and resilience for communities facing future disasters."

Lessons from Maui residents

Researchers will survey 1,200 adults who were living on Maui during the wildfires, including those who were displaced, to examine factors that influence long-term recovery and disaster response among individuals, families, communities, healthcare systems and social service organizations across Maui.

The new award builds on an initial phase that gathered perspectives from residents, community organizations, emergency responders and healthcare providers to help guide the survey design.

Recent findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in August 2025 showed that the mental health effects of the wildfires extended across Maui, not just within burn zones. The study identified housing displacement and income loss as key drivers of depression and anxiety.

The survey findings are expected to inform public policy, emergency response planning, health services and community recovery efforts in Hawai'i and nationwide.

"Nearly three years into the recovery, we hope to learn more about the personal, sociocultural, community and system-level factors that promote health and well-being after experiencing a devastating disaster, such as the 2023 Maui wildfire," Kaholokula said.

He added, "Recovery is not the same for everyone. We hope to understand how these factors evolve over time and vary across different populations as communities continue to rebuild."

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VOSOT Script

INTRO:

A new multi-million dollar grant is fueling a deeper look at the long-term impacts of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

VO:

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund the next phase of the Maui LOA study.

Researchers are building on previous findings to survey 1,200 Maui residents about factors influencing long-term disaster recovery and well-being.

Led by experts from the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health and the John A. Burns School of Medicine, this three-year project aims to translate findings into strategies for future disaster preparedness and resilience as the island continues to rebuild.