Contributed by Lisa Olen| 28 December, 2004 19:35 GMT
Poor quality and quantity of water and insufficient sanitation, overcrowding and poor hygiene in temporary camps will bring forward the risk for outbreaks of diseases.
As the death count from Asia's earthquake and tsunamis climbs -- some press reports are now placing the figure at more than 50,000 lives lost -- the World Health Organization is warning that the spread of disease in the aftermath of the disaster could take an equally heavy toll.Relief officials are warning of possible cholera epidemics and malaria. Dr. David Nabarro, head of crisis operations for WHO, told reporters in Geneva that "there is certainly a chance that we could have as many dying from communicable diseases as from the tsunami," the Associated Press reported.
Size of the Problem Still Unknown
WHO is still in the process of assessing the health situation in the 11 countries drastically affected. Of those, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and India appear to have suffered the worst blows.
In Sri Lanka alone, there are already 250 temporary camps hosting people made homeless by the tsunami, says WHO. Conditions such as overcrowding and inadequate shelter provide favorable conditions for acute respiratory infections, which can represent a major cause of death -- especially for children -- if left untreated, the agency warns.
Danger of Malaria, Dengue Fever Epidemics
South East Asia is endemic for malaria and dengue fever. Flooding and stagnant water create favorable conditions for the mosquito vector. Overcrowding facilitates mosquito bites and therefore transmission, WHO points out in a statement on its official Web site.
WHO says it is setting in place a strict monitoring of the epidemiological situation through the roll back malaria regional program and the regional Denguenet.
Poor quality and quantity of water and insufficient sanitation, overcrowding and poor hygiene in temporary camps will bring forward the risk for outbreaks of different diarrhoeal diseases, WHO explains. Thorough and sustained water purification is an absolute priority.
Environmental Pollution to Water Supplies
The likelihood that the environment will be polluted by leaks or overflows from flooded chemical factories and warehouses must also be taken into consideration, says WHO. Water can be contaminated by gasoline and oil leaking from damaged vehicles.
Dead bodies do not pose any health threat, according to WHO, but they feed fears and can divert precious attention and resources from effective relief efforts. Technical guidance and rational decisions based on sound scientific evidence are another priority need for the health of all the affected and surrounding populations, the agency says.
WHO says it is working on strengthening health coordination and evidence-based decision making in all affected countries in the region. |
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