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Philippines struggles to recover from typhoons
World Report
Philippines struggles to recover from typhoons The Philippines is struggling to fight outbreaks of infection in the population after being battered by two typhoons, which caused massive flooding in the country. Justin McCurry reports.
www.thelancet.com Vol 374 October 31, 2009
needs to provide food, water, shelter, sanitation, and health care to flood victims over the next 3 months. The most urgent threat to health is an outbreak of leptospirosis, a disease that is spread through contact with water contaminated with the urine
“The most urgent threat to health is an outbreak of leptospirosis...” of dogs, rats, and other animals. As of early this week 175 people had died from the disease in the Manila area, while almost 2000 others were showing symptoms. An emergency response team from the WHO, including two epidemiologists and an expert in leptospirosis, was due to arrive this week to treat patients in Manila and the nearby provinces of Rizal and Laguna. Many of the victims were infected through open cuts or sores while wading through dirty floodwater. In its early stages leptospirosis can cause vomiting, fever, and rash, with renal failure and internal bleeding among its more serious symptoms. In an attempt to halt the spread of the disease, the government has distributed antibiotics offering an extra layer of protection to 1·3 million people, but says it still needs outside help to contain the outbreak. The local medical response has been hampered by damage to the healthcare infrastructure, with the few state-run hospitals that are still open in Manila saying they are struggling to cope with the influx of patients. In the past few weeks the country has seen as many cases of leptospirosis as it normally would in a year, local reports say, while the city’s main public hospital for infections diseases said that, at the height of the outbreak, it ran out of testing kits. Despite signs
that cases of leptospirosis peaked in mid-October, Merlin, a medical relief agency, said the conditions are in place for a “perfect storm of disease”. “The standing water is creating the perfect conditions for diseases, such as dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes”, said Sean Keogh, Merlin’s emergency health assessor, who recently visited the Philippines. “Acute watery diarrhoea, which is endemic to certain areas of the Philippines, is also a problem, especially with the poor sanitation, lack of clean drinking water and overcrowded conditions.” In addition, people living in evacuation centres are susceptible to respiratory infections, skin disease, fever, diarrhoea, and infected wounds, the Philippines health department said. Latha Caleb, Save the Children’s country director in the Philippines, said young children living in evacuation centres were particularly vulnerable. “Children in these storm-affected areas face a host of dangers that pose a threat to their very survival”, she said. “It is critical now to address the lack of sanitation systems and clean water that are resulting in widespread illness and disease.”
Justin McCurry
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration AP
The Philippines is facing a public health emergency after being struck by two ferocious typhoons, aid agencies have warned, as nearly 1·5 million people struggle to stave off disease spread by the worst flooding the country has seen for decades. Earlier this week, the Philippines were granted a respite when a third storm quickly weakened and brushed the northern coast of the main island of Luzon before heading north to Japan. Aid agencies that had been preparing to evacuate communities in the path of typhoon Lupit were instead able to begin relief operations aimed at preventing food shortages and outbreaks of serious disease in what Josette Sheeran, the head of the UN’s World Food Programme, called the Philippines’ biggest humanitarian challenge in its recent history. Two super typhoons caused the worst flooding Manila has had in 40 years when they swept through the country in quick succession from late September. More than 80% of the capital was left submerged, nearby farmland was rendered useless and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes. More than 160 000 people are still living in unhygienic conditions in evacuation centres, while WHO says that 1·4 million people are living in flooded suburbs. The total number of people affected by the floods is reported to be as high as 6 million. The storms killed almost 1000 people, most of them buried in mudslides, and left many thousands more exposed to disease and food shortages. The government has been criticised for failing to prepare for the disasters, while the international community is struggling to honour aid pledges. So far the UN has raised less than a third of the US$74 million it says it
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Philippines struggles to recover from typhoons The Philippines is struggling to fight outbreaks of infection in the population after being battered by two typhoons, which caused massive flooding in the country. Justin McCurry reports.
www.thelancet.com Vol 374 October 31, 2009
needs to provide food, water, shelter, sanitation, and health care to flood victims over the next 3 months. The most urgent threat to health is an outbreak of leptospirosis, a disease that is spread through contact with water contaminated with the urine
“The most urgent threat to health is an outbreak of leptospirosis...” of dogs, rats, and other animals. As of early this week 175 people had died from the disease in the Manila area, while almost 2000 others were showing symptoms. An emergency response team from the WHO, including two epidemiologists and an expert in leptospirosis, was due to arrive this week to treat patients in Manila and the nearby provinces of Rizal and Laguna. Many of the victims were infected through open cuts or sores while wading through dirty floodwater. In its early stages leptospirosis can cause vomiting, fever, and rash, with renal failure and internal bleeding among its more serious symptoms. In an attempt to halt the spread of the disease, the government has distributed antibiotics offering an extra layer of protection to 1·3 million people, but says it still needs outside help to contain the outbreak. The local medical response has been hampered by damage to the healthcare infrastructure, with the few state-run hospitals that are still open in Manila saying they are struggling to cope with the influx of patients. In the past few weeks the country has seen as many cases of leptospirosis as it normally would in a year, local reports say, while the city’s main public hospital for infections diseases said that, at the height of the outbreak, it ran out of testing kits. Despite signs
that cases of leptospirosis peaked in mid-October, Merlin, a medical relief agency, said the conditions are in place for a “perfect storm of disease”. “The standing water is creating the perfect conditions for diseases, such as dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes”, said Sean Keogh, Merlin’s emergency health assessor, who recently visited the Philippines. “Acute watery diarrhoea, which is endemic to certain areas of the Philippines, is also a problem, especially with the poor sanitation, lack of clean drinking water and overcrowded conditions.” In addition, people living in evacuation centres are susceptible to respiratory infections, skin disease, fever, diarrhoea, and infected wounds, the Philippines health department said. Latha Caleb, Save the Children’s country director in the Philippines, said young children living in evacuation centres were particularly vulnerable. “Children in these storm-affected areas face a host of dangers that pose a threat to their very survival”, she said. “It is critical now to address the lack of sanitation systems and clean water that are resulting in widespread illness and disease.”
Justin McCurry
The printed journal includes an image merely for illustration AP
The Philippines is facing a public health emergency after being struck by two ferocious typhoons, aid agencies have warned, as nearly 1·5 million people struggle to stave off disease spread by the worst flooding the country has seen for decades. Earlier this week, the Philippines were granted a respite when a third storm quickly weakened and brushed the northern coast of the main island of Luzon before heading north to Japan. Aid agencies that had been preparing to evacuate communities in the path of typhoon Lupit were instead able to begin relief operations aimed at preventing food shortages and outbreaks of serious disease in what Josette Sheeran, the head of the UN’s World Food Programme, called the Philippines’ biggest humanitarian challenge in its recent history. Two super typhoons caused the worst flooding Manila has had in 40 years when they swept through the country in quick succession from late September. More than 80% of the capital was left submerged, nearby farmland was rendered useless and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes. More than 160 000 people are still living in unhygienic conditions in evacuation centres, while WHO says that 1·4 million people are living in flooded suburbs. The total number of people affected by the floods is reported to be as high as 6 million. The storms killed almost 1000 people, most of them buried in mudslides, and left many thousands more exposed to disease and food shortages. The government has been criticised for failing to prepare for the disasters, while the international community is struggling to honour aid pledges. So far the UN has raised less than a third of the US$74 million it says it
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