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Infographic: Reaching NTD Goals by 2020
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01/27/2012
The International AIDS Conference Begins to Take Shape
Craig Moscetti

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Voices on Ownership: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
John Donnelly

01/19/2012
Questions on the Future Financing of Global Health
Craig Moscetti

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Voices on Ownership: Administrator Rajiv Shah
John Donnelly

01/11/2012
Yes, They Do Make House Calls
Mary Beth Powers

12/13/2011
Stemming the Tide of African Health Worker Migration
Mary O'Neil

12/08/2011
The Shirt You Couldn’t Miss: Integrating HIV and GBV Prevention
Daniel Cothran

12/07/2011
Different Countries, Different Issues, Same Question: Where is the Money?
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12/01/2011
World AIDS Day 2011: Looking at a Year of Change
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11/29/2011
Investing in 215 Million Women
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10/23/2011
All for Equity, Health for All: World Conference on Social Determinants of Health Calls for Change
Gahan Furlane

10/21/2011
To Improve 7 billion Lives, One Hand Washes the Other
Conrad Person

10/20/2011
In Bangladesh, Integrated Family Planning Model Shows Great Promise
Catharine McKaig and Jaime Mungia

10/19/2011
Social Determinants of Health: The Key to Sustainable Development
Gahan Furlane

More blog archives >

Pakistan: Miles for Food, High Risk of Outbreaks

08/19/2010

IRD Pakistan Country Director Sajjad Iman outlines emergency health efforts to curb spread of life-threatening diseases

Over the past few weeks, I have traveled to some of the hardest hit districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab Provinces in Pakistan. The recent floods have devastated the region and washed away entire villages. Across the country, nearly 20 million people have been affected; at least 1,500 have been killed; millions are homeless; and many more are still missing. Many areas are still inaccessible, and roads and communication networks have been destroyed all along the Indus and Kabul rivers.

People are traveling more than seven miles to find food. Children and women have taken refuge on the highways and railways, while men continue to search for missing family members, their belongings, and help. They are not yet concerned about their health.

However, in Pakistan, and in any country following disaster, the risks of outbreak are very high and very serious. Primary health concerns are diarrheal diseases, cholera, shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), malaria, skin diseases, and respiratory tract infections. These life-threatening illnesses occur as a result of crowded conditions, contaminated water, and a lack of access to basic sanitation services and supplies. These threats are compounded because of serious damage to public health services and infrastructure such as roads and hospitals.

To help prevent disease, relief organizations focus their basic emergency health efforts in three key areas.

• Identifying and Supplementing the Clean Water Supply. In disaster situations, there's often not enough clean water available locally to meet basic needs. Quality, quantity, and accessibility are all important; people may turn to contaminated sources if there's not enough clean water or it's too far away. Relief organizations should consider what local sources are still available; whether water treatment is needed; the amount of water that source can provide; and the distance from the affected populations. Often, supplemental temporary solutions, such as distribution points and tankers, are required.
• Providing Basic Sanitation Services. Many agencies focus on providing clean water while overlooking sanitation needs, even though poor sanitation is a primary way water becomes compromised. Agencies need to provide access to basic sanitation facilities, such as latrines and showers, as soon as possible. This often requires building new emergency facilities, making sure people are living far enough away from the facilities not to compromise health, but close enough to ensure safety.
• Mobilizing Communities on Hygiene Promotion and Disease Prevention. It is not enough just to provide the water and sanitation facilities. It is essential that those displaced by disaster have the information required to access and maintain the facilities and that they are able to spread that information within their community. This includes trainings for communities on new water collection and sanitation locations, instruction on procedures for basic hygienic use, and when possible, local involvement in the design and maintenance.

These efforts are strengthened through continual monitoring and evaluation by trained health professionals and constant communication between local authorities and relief agencies.

In Pakistan, IRD is making drinking water available to 21,000 people through water tankers. We are restoring safe water points to meet the needs of 70,000 individuals. We are also distributing water purification tablets and integrating hygiene education and promotion in all of our activities.

In addition to these efforts, IRD is re-stocking flood-damaged health clinics with essential medicines, focusing on treatments for water borne illnesses, oral rehydration salts, and primary health care pharmaceuticals. IRD is also providing affected families with shelter and non-food items, such as blankets.

There is a difficult road ahead for the people of Pakistan, and there are many relief organizations, hard at work ensuring that every need is met. With continued vigilance, we can guard against large-scale disease outbreaks and help the people of Pakistan build a healthier life.

Sajjad Iman is IRD's Pakistan country director. The organization has been working in Pakistan since the floods of 2008, providing sanitation facilities, water and medical supplies, and organizing hygiene committees to benefit an estimated 72,000 people in Northwest Pakistan. Image courtesy of IRD.