WHO scale-up humanitarian support in Sindh

KARACHI: WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Guido Sabatinelli has assured the Sindh health department officials to scale up its humanitarian response in all the affected areas in the province.

Talking to the Health Secretary, Rizwan Ahmed and other senior officers of the Health Department during his visit to Sindh, he said WHO will assist the provincial government to address the health issues faced by the population displaced by the floods.

Dr. Sabatinelli said WHO is already working side by side with the Sindh provincial and district health authorities and health implementing partners to comprehensively address health problems, but more funds are urgently needed in order to save precious human lives.

A special mission comprising senior technical experts of the WHO Country Office and Sindh provincial sub-office visited the WHO Humanitarian Hubs in Hyderabad and Sukkur to see and hear first-hand about the health impact of the flood emergency and the organization's operations throughout Sindh.

They visited hospitals, health centres, nutrition stabilization centres, immunization sites and displaced persons in Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana including Naudero, Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, and Community Midwives work station in Village Katchi Unar.

According to a WHO communication the organization has been collaborating with the health authorities and implementing partners, to reduce the burden of preventable deaths and illness through life-saving interventions among flood-affected populations since the 2010 mega flood.

The current floods in Sindh and the poor donor response has stretched the capacity of the health authorities and the organization to address the factors contributing to the main mortality risks such as acute diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, measles, malnutrition, and maternal and neo-natal mortality.

WHO's Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance (EHA) team has been focusing on the provision of essential primary health care and health services to the affected population; mitigation of communicable disease outbreaks through intensive surveillance and early response to disease threats.

Environmental health interventions including water quality analysis and treatment with priority given to schools and health institutions; health education informing the general public; ensuring the provision of emergency essential reproductive health services; and the treatment of acute malnutrition and nutritional surveillance are also being equally focussed upon.

The mission concluded that the conditions in which the flood-displaced persons are living in camps and temporary settlements is highly critical, with limited access to safe water and no functional sanitation facilities.

"Overcrowding, inadequate hygiene and poor nutrition increase the vulnerability of the affected population, and the situation continues to deteriorate with every passing day so that the risk of an overwhelming outbreak of waterborne disease is dangerously increased," said WHO Communicable Disease Epidemiologist, Dr Rana Kakar.

He said surveillance teams have already identified 57 outbreaks of diarrhea, but they were at an early stage where they could be controlled by prompt action.

During the investigations, more than 96% of the 294 water sources tested by WHO environmental health team were found contaminated.

In response, WHO provided hygiene kits, Jerry cans, water filters, water disinfection tablets and hygiene information.

In view of the threat of diarrhea and cholera, WHO has strengthened some hospitals to provide diarrhea care by provision of inpatient beds and medical supplies.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011