Public Health Agency/Health Canada Relief Effort Response

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 05 Jan 2005 - 16:00 PST


In an effort to be as responsive as possible to the devastating disaster in Southeast Asia, Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada continue to offer support and expertise in dealing with the very serious public health implications of this disaster.

National Emergency Stockpile System Offer

The Public Health Agency of Canada is making available a portion of the National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS) to be deployed in the most affected areas to alleviate human suffering.

The total NESS non-medical supplies offered by PHAC includes more than 64 collapsible water bladders each with a capacity of 6,000 litres, 3000 jerry can-type water containers, about 1 million water disinfection tablets, each capable of purifying 1 litre of water, 40 electrical generators, 20,000 blankets, and 15 mobile feeding units with supplies and equipment to feed 200-300 people per hour (if servers and food are available).

The first shipment from this stockpile has left Ottawa for Trenton for loading on a Department of National Defence transport airplane for departure Sunday. It includes 5,040 blankets, 600 flashlights, 1400 D-size batteries, and 3,000 garbage bags.

Plans are for future shipments to be airlifted at the rate of one flight a week until further notice.

PHAC has also offered to send significant quantities of antibiotics, analgesics and other controlled drugs to treat the injured and ill.

PHAC has also written the World Health Organization and offered to send on short notice: team leaders, communicable disease epidemiologists, laboratory experts and technicians, logisticians, data managers and risk communication experts.

The offer on medical and non-medical supplies represents a sizeable portion of the national emergency stockpile (NESS), but PHAC retains robust stockpiles in locations across the country should need arise in Canada.

It is possible to replenish the stockpile within weeks. A decision on when the stockpile will be replenished will be taken as warranted.

Other Initiatives

The Agency is working with the World Health Organization and M édecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders to dete rmine what supplies and medical personnel are required and how Canada can best contribute. If necessary, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders would draw on an existing roster of qualified Canadian experts.

Experts have been sent from both the Public Health Agency and Health Canada to the region.

We expect to send more staff in the coming days based on needs assessments. It is anticipated there will be a need for public health experts to assist in public health surveillance, assessment and response (epidemiologists, database experts and experts in environmental health).

The Agency is also in touch with the Canadian Medical Association in the event more personnel are required, although at the moment this appears unlikely.

In addition, Health Canada officials are facilitating discussions between CIDA and Health Partners International, a charitable Canadian medical relief organization actively working with pharmaceutical companies to assist in the identification and delivery of needed medicines and supplies.

Supplemental

In disaster situations, the possibility of local waterborne or mosquito-borne epidemics is high. In such situations, those people with weakened immune systems will be at greater risk of serious infection. The priority is to ensure safe water supplies within the region to reduce infections.

To minimize the risk to Canadians, the Agency will continue to monitor the health situation in the affected countries and in people returning from the affected areas, as well as maintaining our national surveillance programs.

The Agency maintains Quarantine Services at the Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Ottawa International airports. These airports handle the vast majority of international flights. Quarantine Officers on site at these airports will continue to provide health assessments for international travellers who are identified to be ill.

Questions & Answers:

Q1: Who is the going from the Agency and Health Canada?

A1: Dr. Andrea Ellis who has previous international experience, is in Thailand from the Public Health Agency. She brings expertise specific to public health surveillance, assessment and response. Her role will be as a special advisor to the mission and to help coordinate Canadian efforts.

Dr. Paul Gully, deputy Chief Public Health Officer, is a member of the official reconnaissance team and will be travelling in the region.

Q2: Are we increasing our surveillance in Canada (i.e. thermal scanners, adding quarantine officers etc?)

A2: At this point there is no need for additional surveillance measures in Canada.

This is a press release from the Public Health Agency, Canada

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