E-DRUG: Asian Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster
---------------------------------------------
Health workers and others involved in relief efforts will find links to
treatment guidelines and other medical and public health references for the
prevention and treatment of diseases prevalent in the aftermath of floods
and other disasters on our website www.healthnet.org
We will continue to update this reference list and invite your suggestions for content. Those without web access may request a copy of any document listed on our site by sending an email to hnet@healthnet.org and we will respond as quickly as we can.
Please pass this message on to your contacts in the affected region who are
able to receive email.
regards,
Holly Ladd
Executive Director
SATELLIFE
hladd@healthnet.org
[WHO has this advice on its website (www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/tsunami_sitrep2/en/):
The immediate concern is to ensure the health of the survivors. We are working to determine their number, location and condition. We know that there has been massive damage to infrastructure and that between three and five million people throughout the region are unable to get the basic requirements that they need to survive and cope.
The priorities:
Provide medical and surgical care to the injured. Some hospitals are overwhelmed by the influx of injured. Doctors and health workers are working around the clock to cope.
Ensure that clean water in adequate quantity is available to all affected populations, together with adequate and sufficient sanitation facilities in temporary camps and settlements to reduce the risk of outbreaks of different diarrhoeal diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery.
Ensure that survivors who have lost their homes do not live in conditions that are overcrowded, unhygienic and/or dangerous: These conditions increase the risk of acute respiratory infections that can quickly develop into pneumonia and emerge as major causes of death - especially among children and old people, if left untreated. Across the region, essential medicines and trained health care workers must be easily accessible for all affected population.
South East Asia is endemic for malaria and dengue fever. Flooding and stagnant water will create especially favorable conditions for the mosquito vector and heighten epidemic risk for individuals and communities in overcrowded conditions and temporary shelters.
We are concerned about the contamination of the environment by toxic chemicals if hazardous industries, pesticide warehouses for agriculture, gasoline tanks, oil pipelines and/or waste disposal sites are flooded and destroyed. Flooded and destroyed facilities are prone to release chemicals into the environment resulting in immediate health risks as well as medium to long-term health consequences from direct contact of the chemicals with humans as well as indirect exposure such as through chemically contaminated drinking water or food.
What NOT to do? (Inappropriate Responses; see http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/ems/tsunamis/en/)
Medical or paramedical personnel or teams: Do not send them! They would arrive too late. Local and neighbouring health services are best placed to handle emergency medical care to disaster victims.
Field hospitals, modular medical units: Do not send them! This type of equipment is justified only when it meets medium-term needs. It should never be considered unless it is donated.
Household medicines or prescriptions: Do not send them. These items are sometimes medically and legally inappropriate. Consult first WHO's guideline on essential drugs and the local authority of the beneficiary country.
Temporary shelter such as tents: Do not send them! As temporary resettlements in relative houses or in public edifices are by far more appropriate than creating population displacement camps.
Unilateral decision on resource allocation: Do not take it without evidence of needs.
For the composition of the WHO Emergency Health kit see:
http://www.who.int/medicines/library/par/new-emergency-health-kit/nehk98_en.pdf
Kits can be ordered from IDA (www.ida.nl)
24h IDA Hot-line: +31 6 51219522 (Mrs. Ingeborg Jille)
IDA Foundation supplies the New Emergency Health Kit (NEHK) which includes medicines, disposables and instruments, sufficient to support 10.000 people during a 3-months period. The New Emergency Health Kit consists of a Basic Unit and a Supplementary Unit.
IDA code 101001: NEHK Kit Basic Unit (one basic unit of 10 basic boxes): all identically packed. Every basic box (numbered 1-10) contains: medicines, renewable supplies and instruments.
IDA code 101008: NEHK Supplementary Unit (without psychotropic & narcotic drugs, with tramadol): a supplementary unit contains 3 boxes of medicines, 5 boxes of IV fluids, including giving sets, 3 boxes of renewable supplies and 3 boxes of equipment