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Displaced Populations

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, killing 4230 000 persons and placing an estimated 1.5 million into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. IDPs are at increased risk for communicable diseases resulting from unhealthy living conditions. The Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) established the internally displaced persons surveillance system (IDPSS) to detect outbreaks and characterize disease trends within these camps.

IDPSS gathers data on IDPs seen in clinics run by nongovernmental agencies (NGOs). Physician tally sheets are totaled and sent to the MSPP by E-mail or on paper for those without internet connection. Each Monday, analyses of surveillance data through the preceding week are distributed. Reports, guidelines, and forms are sent to MSPP partners and NGOs through the system’s Google group (Mountain View, CA, USA), an internet-based discussion forum.

 

Objective

We evaluated the IDPSS to determine its suitability for use during a complex humanitarian emergency.

Referenced File
Submitted by hparton on

The October 2010 eruption of Mt Merapi (the most active volcano in the Indonesia that erupts at 5-years intervals) claimed 141 lives, injured 453 people and displaced at least 278,000 people. This geological event became a disaster as national and international agencies had to step in to assist the Yogyakarta Province and Sleman District Administrations in dealing with the devastation caused by the pyroclastic flows. Because of its cyclic nature the task of the local governments is to improve the hazard mitigation system and to increase the resiliency of the population. On 22 July 2013 the Volcano spewed ash clouds and people of two villages of the Cangkringan Sub-District evacuated themselves to the local village halls. The hazards posed by the ash clouds of the volcano, and by the displacement of vulnerable populations, did cause certain physical and emotional sufferings, but could be controlled by the local administration.

Objective

To examine whether the danger zone District Health Office (DHO) and sub-district Health Centers (HCs) were employing an inter-disaster PH S-R System after the October 2010 Mt Merapi eruption and a pre-disaster PH S-R System during the July 2013 Mt Merapi eruption.

Submitted by knowledge_repo… on
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