Latest news with #ElenaVuolo
Times of Oman
10-04-2025
- Health
- Times of Oman
WHO races to contain dengue threat in quake-hit Myanmar
Mandalay: In the wake of Myanmar's devastating earthquake, thousands of displaced families now face an escalating health crisis, as the threat of dengue outbreaks rises sharply across makeshift camps, an official press release by the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated. The WHO, in coordination with local health authorities, has stepped in to launch an urgent prevention and control effort in some of the country's hardest-hit regions. "We lost everything in the earthquake--then my daughter got sick with high fever," said Daw Nandar, cradling her 8-year-old daughter under the plastic sheet they now call home in Mandalay. "At first, we thought her fever was just from the stress and heat--after all we'd been through. But days passed, and it only got worse. We had no money for treatment, no clinic nearby, nowhere to turn. Luckily, the health workers arrived and tested her right away. Because of them, my daughter received all the care she needed. She is recovering faster now." Her voice echoes the experience of many in Sagaing, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw--regions that not only suffered structural damage in the earthquake but are now grappling with fragile shelter conditions, stagnant water, and increased mosquito exposure. These compounding factors create ideal conditions for the rapid spread of dengue, a disease particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women. To avert a secondary public health emergency, WHO is deploying 4,500 rapid diagnostic test kits to frontline responders and health workers. These will be used in displacement sites and remote villages to ensure dengue cases are detected and treated early. In addition, 500 tent nets are being distributed to protect children and infants from mosquito bites. A shipment of 6.2 tons of Temephos is also being used for targeted larviciding in areas identified as high-risk mosquito breeding grounds. "We cannot wait for dengue to become the next disaster," said Elena Vuolo, Deputy Head of WHO Country Office Myanmar. "This intervention is not just about vector control. It's about protecting lives, preventing further suffering, and making sure recovery is built on resilience. If we don't act now, a dengue outbreak will follow soon in these open-air living conditions. The most important part of this initiative is that we are targeting our support to those who would otherwise be left behind." This dengue prevention push is a crucial part of WHO's broader emergency health response, which includes treating earthquake-related injuries and preventing disease outbreaks in overcrowded camps. The challenge is compounded by the oncoming monsoon season, which could drastically increase mosquito populations and disease transmission, the press release stated. Overcrowded tents, poor waste management, and damaged infrastructure have all contributed to mosquito breeding in affected areas. With water supply systems disrupted, families are being forced to store water in open containers--another major risk factor. Meanwhile, the absence of reliable healthcare access in quake-hit zones makes early diagnosis and treatment of dengue difficult, potentially leading to a surge in severe cases. "This is what building resilience means," Vuolo added. "We cannot wait for the next outbreak. We need to prevent it now and protect those most at risk--that's how we lay the foundation for stronger, healthier communities after everything else has been lost." In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, WHO launched a Flash Appeal for USD 8 million to fund life-saving trauma care, prevent infectious disease outbreaks, and restore basic health services across affected regions over the next 30 days. The agency continues to advocate for donor support, emphasising that each contribution helps sustain operations in the hardest-hit areas, stated the press release. With temporary camps still overflowing and infrastructure in ruins, WHO's efforts underline a simple but urgent truth: public health cannot be an afterthought in crisis response. For the families like Daw Nandar's--living in uncertainty, clinging to recovery--the work of prevention may well be the difference between survival and collapse.
Observer
03-04-2025
- Health
- Observer
Devastating Myanmar quake toll crosses 3,000, risks increase
BANGKOK: Extreme heat and heavy rain in Myanmar could cause disease outbreaks among earthquake survivors camping in the open, global aid bodies warned on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts made difficult by civil war, as the death toll surpassed 3,000. Last Friday's 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar's strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings such as hospitals, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter. Deaths rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with 4,715 injured and 341 missing, the ruling junta said. The World Health Organization flagged a rising risk of cholera and other diseases in the worst-affected areas, such as Mandalay, Sagaing and the capital of Naypyitaw, while it prepared $1 million of relief supplies, including body bags. "Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us," said Elena Vuolo, the deputy head of its Myanmar office, pointing to an outbreak last year in Mandalay. The risk was worsened by damage to about half of healthcare facilities in the quake-hit areas, including hospitals destroyed by the quake in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, she added. People were camping outdoors in temperatures of 38°C (100°F) because they were too scared to go home, and many hospitals were also setting up temporary facilities there, Vuolo said from Naypyitaw. Skin disease, malaria and dengue were among the diseases that could result from prolonged crises, such as in Myanmar, she said. But conditions could get even tougher for the huge relief effort, after weather officials warned that unseasonal rain from Sunday to April 11 could threaten the areas hardest-hit by the quake. "I've heard that in the next day or two there are rains (expected)," Titon Mitra, the Myanmar representative of the United Nations Development Programme said by telephone, during a visit to Sagaing. "If that hits, we've got people, lots of people now, in temporary shelters, makeshift camps out on the streets, and that's going to be a real problem," he said, also flagging the UN's concerns about an outbreak of waterborne disease. Despite the devastation, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will leave his disaster-stricken country on Thursday for a rare trip to a regional summit in Bangkok, state television said. It is an uncommon foreign visit for a general regarded as a pariah by many countries and the subject of Western sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation. The weather extremes will add to the challenges faced by aid and rescue groups, which have called for access to all affected areas despite the strife of civil war. The military has struggled to run Myanmar since its return to power in a 2021 coup that unseated the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The generals have been internationally isolated since the takeover and Myanmar's economy and basic services, including healthcare, have been reduced to tatters amid the strife. On Wednesday state-run MRTV said a unilateral government ceasefire would take immediate effect for 20 days, to support relief efforts after the quake, but warned authorities would "respond accordingly" if rebels launched attacks. The move came after a major rebel alliance declared a ceasefire on Tuesday to assist the humanitarian effort. Nearly a week after the quake, searchers in neighbouring Thailand hunting for survivors combed a mountain of debris left after a skyscraper in the capital, Bangkok, collapsed while under construction. Rescuers are using mechanical diggers and bulldozers to break up 100 tons of concrete to locate any still alive after the disaster that killed 15 people, with 72 still missing. Thailand's nationwide toll stands at 22. — Reuters
Khaleej Times
03-04-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Myanmar earthquake toll crosses 3,000; heat and rains fuel disease risk
Extreme heat and heavy rain in Myanmar could cause disease outbreaks among earthquake survivors camping in the open, global aid bodies warned on Thursday, complicating rescue efforts made difficult by a civil war, as the death toll surpassed 3,000. Last Friday's 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar's strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings such as hospitals, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter. Deaths rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with 4,715 injured and 341 missing, the ruling junta said. The World Health Organization flagged a rising risk of cholera and other diseases in the worst-affected areas, such as Mandalay, Sagaing and the capital of Naypyitaw, while it prepared $1 million of relief supplies, including body bags. "Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us," said Elena Vuolo, the deputy head of its Myanmar office, pointing to an outbreak last year in Mandalay. The risk was worsened by damage to about half of healthcare facilities in the quake-hit areas, including hospitals destroyed by the quake in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, she added. People were camping outdoors in temperatures of 38°C (100°F) because they were too scared to go home, and many hospitals were also setting up temporary facilities there, Vuolo told Reuters from Naypyitaw. Skin disease, malaria and dengue were among the diseases that could result from prolonged crises, such as in Myanmar, she said. But conditions could get even tougher for the huge relief effort, after weather officials warned that unseasonal rain from Sunday to April 11 could threaten the areas hardest-hit by the quake. "I've heard that in the next day or two there are rains (expected)," Titon Mitra, the Myanmar representative of the United Nations Development Programme told Reuters by telephone, during a visit to Sagaing. "If that hits, we've got people, lots of people now, in temporary shelters, makeshift camps out on the streets, and that's going to be a real problem," he said, also flagging the UN's concerns about an outbreak of waterborne disease. Despite the devastation, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will leave his disaster-stricken country on Thursday for a rare trip to a regional summit in Bangkok, state television said. It is an uncommon foreign visit for a general regarded as a pariah by many countries and the subject of Western sanctions and an International Criminal Court investigation. CEASEFIRE The weather extremes will add to the challenges faced by aid and rescue groups, which have called for access to all affected areas despite the strife of civil war. The military has struggled to run Myanmar since its return to power in a 2021 coup that unseated the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The generals have been internationally isolated since the takeover and Myanmar's economy and basic services, including healthcare, have been reduced to tatters amid the strife. On Wednesday state-run MRTV said a unilateral government ceasefire would take immediate effect for 20 days, to support relief efforts after the quake, but warned authorities would "respond accordingly" if rebels launched attacks. The move came after a major rebel alliance declared a ceasefire on Tuesday to assist the humanitarian effort. Nearly a week after the quake, searchers in neighbouring Thailand hunting for survivors combed a mountain of debris left after a skyscraper in the capital, Bangkok, collapsed while under construction. Rescuers are using mechanical diggers and bulldozers to break up 100 tons of concrete to locate any still alive after the disaster that killed 15 people, with 72 still missing. Thailand's nationwide toll stands at 22.
CNN
02-04-2025
- General
- CNN
Buildings in Myanmar continue to collapse days after deadly quake
Buildings in Myanmar are continuing to collapse five days after a powerful earthquake struck the country, creating perilous conditions for rescuers as they attempt to extricate survivors from the rubble. More than 2,700 people were killed in the 7.7-magnitude quake, with thousands more injured, according to Myanmar's military junta. Hundreds more remain missing, meaning the death toll is almost certain to rise. The Myanmar Fire Services Department on Wednesday shared video of a heartwarming moment in the military capital Naypyidaw, where workers pulled a man from the rubble more than 100 hours after the quake, a miraculous rescue that offered a rare moment of hope. The man appeared tired and disheveled as he was pulled out of an air pocket between broken slabs of concrete, to a round of applause. A day earlier, a 62-year-old woman was similarly pulled from broken slabs of concrete in Naypyidaw. The death toll from Myanmar's earthquake has surpassed 2,700, with thousands more injured or missing. Elena Vuolo, W.H.O. Deputy Head in Myanmar, describes the situation as 'a crisis within a crisis,' emphasizing that aid is being allowed despite ongoing reports of restrictions. Elsewhere, a team of Chinese rescuers on Monday pulled four people – including a five-year-old child and a pregnant woman – from the rubble. Structurally vulnerable buildings in the country are still collapsing as tremors continue, according to human rights organizations, highlighting the dangers of the rescue mission. Two hotels collapsed near the epicenter in Mandalay Monday night, after people went back to the structures days after the quake. 'With these additional tremors, fatalities are still occurring,' said Michael Dunford, Myanmar director at the United Nations World Food Programme. 'Many people are still sleeping out in the open on the streets or in the parks because they are too scared to go back into their homes. And of course, this is hampering our efforts to reach them and to provide the type of support that they need.' Humanitarian organizations are continuing to stress the need for urgent aid, especially to more remote areas of the country. Even before the quake, four years of civil war had left millions without adequate shelter and battered health and communication infrastructure. In Sagaing town, near the epicenter of the quake, residents have described scenes of heartbreak and desperation as they wait for urgent medical supplies and food. Rights group Amnesty International spoke to three residents, who said there was a rising need for body bags, torches, and mosquito-repellant coils. They also told the group that the military, which largely controls the town, was imposing 'strict surveillance' for light vehicles traveling to Sagaing from Mandalay. 'Soldiers are inspecting deliveries, and checks can take longer if they come from other areas in Sagaing that have more connections to resistance groups,' Amnesty said. The ruling junta seized power from Myanmar's democratically elected government in 2021, sparking a brutal civil war between ethnic rebel groups and its military. While the junta has reaffirmed its commitment to allowing assistance, rights groups have criticized Myanmar's leaders for restricting access to some affected areas. 'The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas,' said deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch Bryony Lau. Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Myanmar's military to 'refrain from deliberate air strikes and other forms of attack on civilian targets' in earthquake-affected areas. Meanwhile, a major rebel alliance in Myanmar declared a temporary ceasefire to facilitate rescue efforts. 'We strongly desire that urgent humanitarian efforts, which are immediately needed for the earthquake-affected population, be carried out as swiftly and effectively as possible,' the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which involves the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, the Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army, said in a joint statement Tuesday. International teams, including groups from China, Russia, and Pakistan, have been assisting with rescue efforts in Myanmar. Two Indian naval vessels carrying humanitarian aid, relief supplies and food arrived in Yangon Tuesday morning. But humanitarian workers have warned that years of underfunding means more needs to be done. 'This is time, to be honest, for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar,' UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi said Tuesday. 'We keep saying that Myanmar does not rank very high among the different emergencies… The humanitarian response in Myanmar has been chronically underfunded for years. Four months into the year right now, less than 5 per cent of the required US$1.1 billion of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been received.' Friday's devastating quake was felt all the way in neighboring Thailand, where at least 22 people died in the capital Bangkok. Of that number, 15 people were killed after an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, officials said.
