MaximsNewsNetwork: 30 August 2009 - WHO: The World Health Organization (WHO) and health partners have prevented large-scale disease outbreaks in northwest Pakistan with the help of an early warning system. The mass dislocation of people due to conflict has fanned enormous health challenges, including the threat of epidemics.
Pakistan has been hit by another humanitarian crisis after conflict displaced two million people in the country's northwest earlier this year. The mass dislocation of people has fanned enormous health challenges, including the threat of disease.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO)s Health Action in Crises program, Eric Laroche says the displaced face new health risks as they return home.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization:
The good news is more than 1.5 million people have gone back to their area of origin. That was not very expected (so soon). This is the good news. The bad news in a sense is that many of the health facilities and resources have been depleted, looted and destroyed in these areas, so we are still very much concerned about the possibility of being able to supply them with the necessary support in health and to make sure that there will not be too many problems for too long a time.
WHO and health partners have so far prevented large-scale outbreaks with the help of a disease early warning system.
In the camps sheltering internally displaced people (IDPs), a small medical facility is often the only source of medical care for thousands of people. Dedicated medical staff treat patients suffering from dehydration, diarrhea and other health problems.
One phone call from a local field doctor to WHO staff activates the disease early warning system. WHO checks the patient history and helps to diagnose the disease.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization:
One thing is sure is we should praise the fact that we have not had any epidemic during this period of time. The system that has been put in place, thanks maybe to the capacity and skills of the Pakistani people, the system that has been put in place there has been very efficient. There have been almost 100 alerts of epidemics and all of them have been controlled, investigated immediately and controlled.
In the camps, investigators have also been inspecting potential sources of infection, such as people's makeshift homes.
UPSOUND Local doctor: How many days did your husband have diarrhea?
UPSOUND Woman: Many days, 20 days.
UPSOUND WHO doctor: Where do you get your water from?
UPSOUND Woman: From nearby where there is a tank, then from another location over there and sometimes at a water source further away.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization:
The problem now is these people are going back home and we need to reinstitute these type of surveillance systems and early warning systems in these areas of return. And that is a major challenge for the time being.
A key role of WHO in the camps is to monitor the quality of drinking water. Water quality from bore wells is tested at their source.
Environmental health engineers also test home water supplies - stored in jerry cans and other containers for turgidity, residue chlorine and unacceptable levels of bacteria.
Families and neighbors are quizzed on hygiene practices, the condition of loved ones, and what they do to ensure the quality at home of drinking water - any clues that might help to track down the source of a potential disease outbreak.
If outbreaks are confirmed, WHO delivers medicines and other supplies, supports isolation control activities and informs health partners of new cases.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization:
To respond to the crisis in health and to recover we need 35 million dollars, 25 million dollars for responding to the needs and 10 million dollars for the recovery, to normalize the lives of the people that have returned.
Laroche says the biggest gaps now are child health including immunization, disease control and maternal health. The returnees need medicine and equipment, as well as the right people, including women health workers. Otherwise, he says, we are not going to make it.
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