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New Delhi, 24 June 2005: The tsunami of 26 December 2004 was one
of the worst natural disasters in recent memory. Six months after the tragedy, the
rebuilding and recovery process has provided an opportunity for the health
sectors in the affected countries, assisted by the World Health Organization
(WHO), to strengthen their health systems in a long-term, sustainable
manner. Local health capacity and
infrastructure are being fortified and local people have been trained in
skills that will serve their communities better.
According to Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia
Region, “The aftermath of the tsunami presented a great public health
challenge to WHO. However, every disaster presents
opportunities to both countries and international agencies to strengthen
their capabilities and capacity.”
Health systems in many
affected countries had been devastated by the tsunami. For example, in Aceh, Indonesia, 53 of the 244 health
facilities were destroyed or severely incapacitated. Fifty-seven of the 497 provincial health
office staff died, while 59 were reported missing. WHO assisted the health sectors of the
affected countries, at their request, in strengthening their resources and in
setting up systems where they had been destroyed. In meeting the needs of the affected areas,
WHO also provided technical guidelines, and medical
supplies. Resources were mobilized in partnership with the government health
authorities.
The large numbers of
displaced persons, crowded conditions, flooding and a vulnerable population
posed an increased risk of communicable diseases following the tsunami. However, timely establishment of disease
surveillance systems by health authorities, helped prevent any major
outbreak. In Aceh,
so far, the surveillance team has responded to 352 cumulative cases through
alerts and response systems. This
system of epidemiological surveillance and outbreak response system will now
be used as part of the routine integrated disease surveillance.
In India,
with assistance from WHO, the state of Tamil Nadu
had established disease surveillance units in four of the worst affected
districts in the state. Surveillance for both water
and vector borne communicable diseases was established. Except for sporadic cases, no major
outbreak was reported from the affected communities. A mass measles and
vitamin A immunization campaign reached out to more than 75,000 children
below 5 years of age.
Damaged hospitals and clinics were also upgraded
and equipped with relevant instruments and resources. In Aceh, for
example, the Meulaboh District Laboratory as well
as the Provincial Food and Drug laboratory have been equipped by WHO. In the Maldives, the Public Health Laboratory has been
provided with laboratory equipment such as a water purification system and
accessories to assist in surveillance and monitoring of chemical and
microbiological contaminants in food.
As part of the United Nations
country team, WHO is working closely with the government in the Maldives
in the ‘Recovery Plus” process. Here,
the challenges of the tsunami disaster are being transformed into
opportunities to accelerate sustainable long-term development. Three thousand drums have been procured for
collecting hazardous waste from tsunami-affected islands, and 13 health
professionals have undergone training to develop and implement a national
strategy for management of healthcare waste.
With a view to long-term, sustainable use of water resources,
‘template’ water safety plans are being developed, and the needs for water
quality surveillance assessed. Draft
guidelines for food safety have been developed and 25 food inspectors
trained.
In India, through local
efforts, WHO has initiated rigorous water quality monitoring and social
mobilization for environmental sanitation and hygiene in the relief shelters
in the worst affected district in Tamil Nadu. In
addition, a long term project to monitor the changes in ground water quality
following the disaster has been initiated in all the coastal districts of
Tamil Nadu.
All tsunami-affected areas
are currently focusing on capacity building.
This is also the first time
that modern technology for forensic identification of bodies has been used on
such a large scale following a natural disaster. In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health
is being assisted by WHO in over 30 projects, including forensic science, the
architectural engineering aspects of building hospitals and other public
health infrastructure in disaster-prone areas, mental health (particularly in
the long term psychological effects of disasters on children), and capacity
building in disease surveillance as well as development of mobile emergency
response units.
Mental health of the affected
populations has been a key concern. In
every affected country, WHO, along with the concerned governments, has
provided training for psychosocial support, with help from the communities. This emphasis on mental health in the
tsunami-affected countries has set in motion some far-reaching changes. The Sri Lankan government plans to review its
national mental health act and mental health policies. In Indonesia, Aceh
will become the first province to have community mental health services. In India too, a framework for
providing psychosocial support, including a referral care system has been initiated
in the affected districts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. More than 3000 “Community
Level Workers” have been trained and are actively providing support to the
affected communities
In the next six months, WHO will continue to work with governments
to improve health sector responses to natural disasters, so that more lives
are saved in the future.
For any
clarification or additional information, please contact media focal points:
Mrs Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey, Mobile # 98-106-95878, Email:
pandeyh@whosea.org
Dr Supriya Bezbaruah Mobile # 98-115-09811, Email: bezbaruahs@whosea.org
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