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After floods in northwest Pakistan have “already killed up to 1,200 people” and forced two million from their houses, authorities are now concerned about disease spread, the Related Press reports. “To avert the looming threat of spread of waterborne diseases, particularly cholera, we have dispatched dozens of mobile medical teams inside the affected districts,” said medical official Sohail Altaf. Altaf stated no concrete situations of cholera have been reported within the country but “fear of an outbreak is high,” and patients with “stomach issues from dirty water” are being observed in medical camps (Brummitt, 8/2).

AlJazeera.net reports that Save the Young children doctors inside the area have treated “over 600 individuals inside the last two days and they are seeing a good deal of situations of diarrhoea, fever and skin infections,” in accordance with Sonia Cush, the group’s director of emergency response (8/1). Officials warn that “a lack of drinking water” is spreading disease, according to Agence France-Presse/News24, in an post that quotes yet another well being official, Syed Zahir Ali Shah, who said, “We estimate that about 100,000 people, mostly children, have been hit by cholera and gastro diseases” inside the region (8/2).

An aerial survey of the one of many worst-affected provinces “showed dozens of villages had merely been washed away,” the BBC reports(8/2). “The United Nations and the United States announced Saturday that they would present $10 million dollars every single in emergency assistance. The U.S. has also provided rescue boats, water filtration units, prefabricated steel bridges and thousands of packaged meals that Pakistani soldiers tossed from helicopters as flood victims scrambled to catch them,” the AP continues.

“The [Pakistani] government says it has deployed thousands of rescue workers who’ve so far saved an estimated 28,000 individuals and distributed standard food items,” in accordance with the AP. The army has also sent 30,000 troops and “dozens of helicopters, but the scale with the disaster is so vast that several residents said it seems like officials are doing absolutely nothing. Thousands more folks in the province remain trapped by the floodwaters” (8/2). BBC reports that the army predicts the “initial search and rescue operation will take up to 10 days” and rebuilding could take 6 months or far more.

BBC also reports that rescuers are “struggling to reach 27,000 folks still stranded” by the floods (8/2). “Part of the primary north-south motorway into the [affected] region was reopened Sunday,” permitting aid supplies in and prompting individuals to flee the region, “before reportedly closing once more.” In an IRIN post, a U.N. official estimates that 50 bridges have been swept away inside the country (8/1).

Several hundred individuals protested the “government’s response” to the disaster within the north-western city of Peshawar, “where homeless survivors crammed into temporary shelters overnight,” the BBC adds (8/2). Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari “faced criticism for proceeding using a trip to Europe” (Shakir/Sharif, 8/2).

This data was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Household Foundation. You are able to view the whole Kaiser Every day Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for e-mail delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

? Henry J. Kaiser Family members Foundation. All rights reserved.

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Save the Children is mobilizing supplies and personnel to begin delivering emergency help towards the families who have been affected by the unusually heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan. A lot more than 400 individuals have died because the rains began 10 days ago, many in parts of Swat Valley along with the districts of Shangla and Tank, where floodwaters have swept away hundreds of mud houses. Rushing water has also washed away thousands of acres of crops and dozens of government buildings, local businesses and schools, in accordance with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Save the Kids, which has worked in Pakistan for far more than 25years, is preparing to distribute plastic sheeting for shelters andother household supplies and hygiene kits to 1,000 families in thenext 48 hours. In the request of the Pakistan Well being Department andthe Globe Wellness Organization, the agency has also deployed mobilehealth teams and ambulances to offer emergency medical treatment inthe worst affected locations.

For a lot more information visit http://www.savethechildren.org/.

Save the Kids will be the leading, independent organization thatcreates lasting alter for youngsters in need inside the United States andaround the globe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Save the Kids

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The threat of waterborne illness outbreaks and immense damage to health facilities are just a number of the complications experienced by the individuals of Pakistan for the duration of its worst floods on record. WHO (World Health Orginaziation) is coordinating the response of health partners and supporting Pakistani authorities by sending medicines and related well being supplies capable of treating far more than 200 000 folks towards the affected locations within the northwestern region of the country.

Major health concerns in the moment are the control of waterborne illnesses, which includes diarrhoeal illnesses and respiratory infections, treating the injured, helping to ensure the top quality of clean drinking water and ensuring public access to health facilities using the emphasis on growing the number of female well being workers.

Many wellness facilities destroyedAbout 46 of Pakistan’s 135 districts have been affected by the flooding. At the least 39 wellness facilities have been destroyed, resulting in a loss of tons of medicines. There’s a tremendous require for more medical and related materials to treat individuals affected by the humanitarian emergency, also as to immunize youngsters, particularly against polio and measles.

Static and mobile medical teams are supplying outreach services to affected areas specifically with maternal, neonatal and child wellness, nutrition and psychosocial support. By the end of two August, dozens of mobile teams and fixed well being facilities had treated far more than 15 000 patients, several of whom had been suffering from diarrhoea.

WHO responseWHO is operating together with the Pakistani Ministry of Wellness, National Disaster Management Authority, Provincial Departments of Health too as partner healthcare providers within the Health Cluster network of international and neighborhood organizations. A disease outbreak early warning system is active and, as yet, no outbreaks of diseases have been confirmed, even so concern of the disease outbreaks remains high.

WHO has sent huge shipments of medicines and supplies to treat individuals for diarrhoea, respiratory infections, wounds, and other well being conditions. To make sure people have access to clean, secure supplies of drinking water, WHO has also supplied 102 000 aqua tablets and 4600 water purifying sachets to wellness facilities in Peshawar and Nowshera.

Unmet needsBut the scale of the emergency means more medical supplies will be needed. Other urgent desires identified by an initial assessment conducted by UN agencies contain:offering psychosocial support to the affected populationhygiene promotion interventions – supplying water purification tablets, safe water, water chlorinationtents for temporary wellness facilitiesstrengthening the referral technique to higher levels of wellness carevaccination campaignsSource: World Health Organization (WHO)

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UNICEF is sending in life-saving supplies to the millions of individuals hit by severe flooding in several provinces in northern Pakistan. The devastating floods are stated to be the worst within the region for 80 years and have affected an estimated 3.2 million people which includes 1.four million kids.

“The biggest threats are the outbreak of water-borne illnesses including diarrhoea and cholera, particularly deadly to kids. We have already received reports of situations of diarrhoea amongst youngsters. Food, clean drinking water, health supplies, high power biscuits, clothing for girls and children and vaccines, are required urgently. We have already supplied a initial tranche of humanitarian supplies and will probably be bringing in more more than the next days in the course of this critical life-saving period”, said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

The flooding has triggered widespread destruction of infrastructure with roads submerged and bridges swept away. Power lines are down and harm has been done to hospitals, schools and sanitation systems. In 1 district, UNICEF reported that 80 per cent of the drinking wells had been destroyed. Several households are camping out in schools and other building situated on higher ground.

“There has been widespread harm to crops and loss of livestock. In a largely agricultural region, this really is causing food scarcity now and will have negative implications for the future. We might be seeking at a long-term humanitarian operation to 1st save lives and then assist with all the recovery of those affected regions,” said Mr. Mogwanja.

To date, UNICEF has supplied hygiene kits, water tankers and high energy biscuits. It has repaired 73 tube wells benefitting 800,000 individuals and supported the setting up of 24 medical camps benefitting an estimated 1 million people.

UNICEF is asking for $10.3 million for the instant needs of the affected populations.

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UNICEF

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UNICEF is sending in life-saving supplies to the millions of people hit by severe flooding in numerous provinces in northern Pakistan. The devastating floods are said to be the worst inside the region for 80 years and have affected an estimated 3.two million individuals including 1.4 million young children.

“The biggest threats are the outbreak of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, specially deadly to kids. We have already received reports of cases of diarrhoea amongst youngsters. Food, clean drinking water, well being supplies, high energy biscuits, clothing for women and young children and vaccines, are needed urgently. We have already supplied a initial tranche of humanitarian supplies and is going to be bringing in more over the next days during this crucial life-saving period”, stated Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

The flooding has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure with roads submerged and bridges swept away. Power lines are down and damage has been completed to hospitals, schools and sanitation systems. In one district, UNICEF reported that 80 per cent of the drinking wells had been destroyed. Several families are camping out in schools and other creating located on greater ground.

“There has been widespread damage to crops and loss of livestock. In a largely agricultural region, this is causing food scarcity now and will have negative implications for the future. We might be searching at a long-term humanitarian operation to 1st save lives and then assist with the recovery of those affected regions,” said Mr. Mogwanja.

To date, UNICEF has provided hygiene kits, water tankers and high energy biscuits. It has repaired 73 tube wells benefitting 800,000 individuals and supported the setting up of 24 medical camps benefitting an estimated 1 million people.

UNICEF is asking for $10.3 million for the immediate desires of the affected populations.

Source: UNICEF

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UNICEF is distributing emergency assistance in the provinces that have been worst affected by recent floods, ensuring that the urgent desires of young children are met.

The flooding follows torrential rains that have hit central and eastern parts of Afghanistan within the course of the last week. Afghan officials say the floods are the worst the region has experienced in a lot more than 80 years, and further rain is forecast.

According to estimates by the Afghan Government the floods have left several thousand individuals homeless in northeast Kapisa, central Ghazni, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, Logar, Khost and northern Parwan Provinces where over four.000 houses have been destroyed. Much with the arable land and crops on which the neighborhood population relies have been devastated. The destruction of road and bridges by the heavy rainfall, combined with insecurity have hindered the response. The death toll so far, reported on Monday, was 80.

UNICEF has provided 430 tents to Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Water family kits, water storage items and chlorine for water purification for 2,000 households and high energy biscuits for 10.000 children under five and pregnant and lactating women arrived in Kapisa on Monday.

“Children are always the most affected by emergencies. It is crucial that they have access to clean water. They need to be protected from the threat of diarrhoea as well as the outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles,” said UNICEF Country Representative in Afghanistan, Peter Crowley. “But we ought to not forget that other services such as education are to re-start as soon as possible, to assist children regain a sense of normalcy.”

Working using the government of Afghanistan together with other United Nations agencies and partners, UNICEF is responding to the hygiene, nutrition and primary wellness requirements of up to 4,000 households in central and eastern regions. Oral rehydration salt to prevent diarrhoeal death, chlorine for water purification, high power biscuits to cover immediate nutritional wants, and equipment for hygiene and water storage had already been prepositioned .earlier this year and are expected to reach the worst affected locations inside the subsequent 48 hours. A measles campaign is scheduled for the coming days.

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UNICEF

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South Asia is “lagging behind” in poverty and hunger reduction and is “in danger” of missing crucial Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, a U.N. official told Asian ministers gathered to discuss MDGs progress, Agence France-Presse reports. At the meeting, “senior officials told delegates from dozens of countries that global food, power and financial crises in recent years had jeopardized progress toward achieving the goals set for 2015,” the news service writes.

Reductions in poverty have been recorded in eastern and southeastern Asia, however “[m]ost of southern Asia … is in danger of not halving extreme poverty rates by 2015, as well as the prevalence of hunger there has actually increased slightly in between 2002 and 2007,” said U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang, in accordance with AFP (8/3).

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon sent a message towards the meeting saying “a number of countries have registered major successes in combating hunger, improving school enrollment and child wellness, expanding access to clean water and HIV treatment, and controlling tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases. These improvements have occurred in a number of the poorest countries, demonstrating that MDGs are indeed achievable,” Xinhua reports. He noted that achievements aren’t even among countries and regions in Asia and that there has been “insufficient progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women” (8/3).

Indonesia’s Vice President Boediono, who delivered opening remarks to the conference, “said on Tuesday that [the] Asia-Pacific is still facing tough challenges” to achieving MDGs by 2015, based on Global Times/Xinhua. He highlighted a have to address gender imbalance, HIV rates in North and Central Asia and children’s access to basic education (8/3).

Zukang “stressed that his department and all U.N. method organisations stand ready to perform with renewed vigor in coming years so that all targets are achieved in all Asian sub-regions,” reports Bernama.com (8/3). He also “called on governments all over the world to do much more to meet the development targets,” according to AFP. “‘With just 5 years to go until 2015 it is crucial that policies are changed or tightened now,’ he said” (8/3).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with type permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. You’ll be able to view the whole Kaiser Day-to-day Global Wellness Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for e-mail delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

? Henry J. Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

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As the acute phase of the Gulf oil spill transitions to a chronic phase, marked by long-term challenges towards the public well being, environment and economy, researchers at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness interviewed over 1,200 adults living within 10 miles of the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi, in collaboration with all the Children’s Health Fund as well as the Marist Poll of Poughkeepsie, NY. The survey, conducted by telephone in July, after the Deepwater Horizon nicely was capped, found evidence of significant and potentially lasting impact of the disaster on the wellness, mental well being, and economic fortunes of residents and their kids and on the way they live their everyday lives. The findings have implications for health and economic policies going forward.

Among the key survey findings: Over 40% of adults living inside ten miles with the coast stated they have experienced direct exposure towards the oil spill or clean-up effort. Inside this group, almost 40% reported physical symptoms of skin irritations and respiratory issues, which they attributed to the oil spill. Over one-third of parents report that their children have experienced either physical symptoms or mental health distress as a consequence of the oil spill. 1 in 5 households report a drop in income given that the oil spill, and 8% report job loss. These losses were most likely to hit those that were already economically vulnerable: households with incomes under $25,000 a year. Far more than one-quarter (26.6%) of coastal residents stated they thought they might need to move away from the Gulf Coast. Among those earning less then $25,000, the figure was 36.3%. Kids whose parents think they may possibly move are almost three times far more likely to have mental wellness distress than are kids whose parents do not expect to move. A lot more than 70% of parents report young children spending less time swimming, boating and playing within the sand; 21% say their kids are spending less overall time playing outdoors. Coastal residents had a lot more favorable assessments and trust in their nearby and state officials and in the U.S. Coast Guard than they did in BP or other Federal agencies. Slightly over half of all coastal residents felt that BP’s response was “poor,” and 41.3% said that the President’s response to the oil spill was poor.”Over the last few days we are seeing an effort by officials who are suggesting that, as the oil is less visible on the surface, the ‘crisis is over.’ Clearly, this is far from the case,” says Irwin Redlener, MD, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCPD) at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and president of the Children’s Wellness Fund (CHF). “As shown by our survey, completed right after the properly was capped, there is certainly a considerable and persistent public health crisis underscored by the large number of kids with medical and psychological issues related towards the oil disaster. These concerns will have to be assessed and managed in these coastal communities where you will find few or no pediatricians and vastly insufficient mental health skilled capacity.’

The survey found a dramatic relationship between economic vulnerability and health effects. Adults with household incomes below $25,000 had been by far the most most likely to report physical and mental health effects for themselves and also among their young children.

“Much the way Hurricane Katrina had its greatest effect on those with the least, the oil spill is also having a greater impact on those coastal residents who are ‘economically vulnerable,’ says David Abramson, PhD, MPH, director of Research at NCDP and assistant professor of clinical sociomedical sciences at the Mailman School. “In an location nonetheless recovering from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the oil spill represents a considerable test of a population’s resiliency.”

Dr. Redlener, a pediatrician and professor at the Mailman School, outlined a number of implications for policymakers and others: “Guidelines have to be developed, with active participation of relevant federal agencies, with respect towards the short- and long-term well being risks of remaining in affected communities. This should incorporate recommendations, based on known science, on when families would be advised to move out of the community entirely.” He also believes BP ought to offer funds to state and nearby agencies involved with delivering assessment and care to affected families. “Children are particularly susceptible to the consequences of this disaster and should have particular resources focused on their requirements.”

The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia’s Mailman School, which designed the survey, intends to follow a cohort of at least 1,000 youngsters and adults inside the region to determine the continuing health and mental well being consequences with the oil spill. Meanwhile the Children’s Health Fund will bring badly needed mobile pediatric care towards the region shortly. “There are literally no pediatricians within the lower two-thirds of Plaquemines Parish,” notes Dr. Redlener, “and this is one of many worst hit locations.”

Source:
Stephanie Berger
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Well being

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It’s taken millions of dollars to cap it, and it could take billions far more to clean it up. BP’s oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico is acknowledged the environmental catastrophe with the century. But Tel Aviv University has a solution that might support “bioremediate” the remaining difficulties.

Prof. Eugene Rosenberg and Prof. Eliora Ron of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology are utilizing naturally occurring oil-munching bacteria, grown in the TAU lab, to clean the hard-to-reach oil pockets that occur when oil mixes with sand and organic matter on beaches and forms a thin layer on the Gulf’s precious waterways.

“It’s worked to clean up an oil spill on the coast of Haifa, Israel, so we’ve already got good evidence it could function in Florida too,” says Prof. Ron. Particulars of their decades of analysis appear in the Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, published this year by Springer Verlag.

Using nature itself to fight contamination

The researchers identified a naturally occurring variety of sea-borne bacteria that digests oil. By studying the bacteria’s genetic background, developing methods of growing the bacteria, and increasing their capacity to ingest the oil, the scientists have developed a solution that could clean up the residual oil that can’t be removed by mechanical means.

Prof. Ron says that sucking up surface oil pools and containing the oil are essential and necessary first-step actions. But her solution addresses the smaller amounts of oil left behind – that which isn’t effortlessly removed from sand and water. It is this modest percentage of oil that sits below rocks and forms a thin film on the water’s surface. Her bacterial solution can remove this oil, which is necessary to protect the sea’s wildlife.

“We see sad pictures of birds covered in oil and people with good intentions cleaning bird wings,” says Prof. Ron. “But by the time the oil is on their wings, it’s too late. Birds die because oil gets into their lungs.”

Going the last mile

“The problem is huge as well as with just a little bit in your lungs, oil is bad. Even when cleanup crews lessen the amount of oil at sea, there will probably be enough left behind to kill birds and wildlife.” At this level of oil removal, the researcher says, the only solution is bioremediation – employing nature itself to do the final cleanup.

Featured in Time magazine in the 1970s, the bacterial bioremediation solution developed at Tel Aviv University has been applied to clean out the bilges of oil tankers at sea and is used worldwide.

Source:
George Hunka
American Friends of Tel Aviv University