Huge risk of communicable diseases after the tsunamis in Asia - USA

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 29 Dec 2004 - 1:00 PDT

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A series of earthquakes and resultant tsunamis have hit Southeast Asia causing serious damage, loss of life and large-scale damage to local infrastructures destroying health facilities. In the coming days, additional threats to human life such as diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections can be expected to arise from contaminated water sources.

Sri Lanka

The tidal waves struck Sri Lanka by 09.00 a.m. The high tidal waves affected coastal areas deep inland on the North East, East, South and South West coast areas, with enormous damage and destruction caused by the force of the wave. Currently 13'000 people may have perished. Communication with the affected areas in the country is been disrupted and is likely to hamper effective medical help and restoration of basic services in water and food.

The Government of Sri Lanka has declared a national emergency. WHO is supporting the UN led international assistance programme and has established a task force to provide disease surveillance and support for water supply and sanitation. WHO is moving to ship 2 emergency health kits for hospitals in the affected areas, including ORS, antibiotics and water purifying tablets. Staff from not-affected countries in the region are on standby to support the emergency health protection effort in Sri Lanka.

India

Tidal waves crashed into eastern and southern coastal peninsular India at IST 06.58 am on 26 December 2004. The coastal states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala and the UnionTerritories of Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar have been affected. Coastal Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands being the worst hit. Tamil Nadu may have 2200 dead, with another 500 dead in neighbouring states. Many fishermen are reported missing. The situation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is feared to be much worse than the currently reported 3000 dead and 3000 missing.

The Union Health Ministry has dispatched several medical teams including epidemiologists, surgeons, etc. to Chennai, Hyderabad, Pondicherry and Port Blair.

Indonesia

Following the earthquake and the tsunami that has struck Aceh province of Indonesia, the full impact of the tragedy is still to be assessed. Initial reports indicate some 4500 dead and several hundred people missing. A national disaster has been declared by the President of Indonesia. The Vice President will visit the province on 27th December.

Currently the communication link with WHO staff based in Banda Aceh has been cut. WHO will undertake a rapid health needs assessment in support of the efforts of the UN Disaster Response Team. WHO will facilitate the Aceh Provincial Health Office to coordinate and manage the health sector support needed for the disaster.

The situation in Aceh may turn out to be grim, not just because of the current crisis, but also because emergency supplies have dwindled in recent months due to a series of emergencies in various part of Indonesia. Aceh is further suffering from various vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue. Lastly, many areas are difficult to reach due to conflict. This may also slow down communication with some remote areas in Aceh. The Vice-President of Indonesia has welcomed international aid for AcehProvince

Thailand

The Southern provinces of Thailand have been most affected by the Tsunami, with the Phuket area bearing the brunt of the onslaught. In the course of the day it has become clear that more than 1000 people have died in Phuket, with another 1000 people missing. The WHO representative has traveled to Southern Thailand to assist the Government of Thailand in its needs assessment.

Maldives

The tidal wave flooded two thirds of Male and caused damage to infrastructure. However, remote island atolls were more severely affected with whole islands being washed out and its inhabitants evacuated to nearby islands. Damage to water supplies (mainly rainwater storage) and foodstuffs seems extensive. The Government of the Maldives declared a National Emergency and appealed for clothing, dried food and water. It is currently estimated that some 52 people have died, with a similar number missing.

WHO has received a request from Government for water purifying tablets, ORS, antibiotics, etc.

Myanmar

Limited information is available from Myanmar. Even then, it appears that Myanmar has been lucky and has not been affected much. Some 30 casualties are reported from the Southern tip of Myanmar, near Phuket.

Bangladesh

The Earthquake was well reported in various cities in Bangladesh, but damage was limited to cracks in the walls of older buildings. Inland water bodies seemed to be affected for up to 2 hours. The only deaths recorded are 2 children missing when their ship sank due to the tidal wave.

WHO-SEARO

The World Health Organization South East Asia Regional Office has responded to the current emergency by establishing a 24 hr operation room and a senior level task force to support the emergency needs of the 5 most affected countries in the Region. The task force will focus on disease surveillance; advice to countries on good practice in outbreak situations and to reduce environmental and public health risks; support in needs assessment and proposal development for present and medium term restoration and protection of the health and well-being of the affected population; provision of guidelines on disposal of dead bodies; and attention for psycho-social needs and protection of vulnerable groups, especially women; and provision of essential drugs and water purification tablets/chlorine.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION