Philippine gov’t tries to prevent disease outbreak in typhoon-hit areas

MANILA- The Philippine government urged Saturday the people in the evacuation centers in typhoon ravaged- areas to keep their temporary shelters clean to prevent the spread of diseases.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in an interview over a state-run radio station, said that the Department of Health (DOH) is also doing everything to ensure the health of 212,000 individuals who have been staying in 291 evacuation centers after they were displaced by Typhoon Bopha (local name Pablo).

“The Department of Health is doing what it can in the evacuation areas to make sure that disease doesn’t spread. But we also need the cooperation of the evacuees themselves to keep their areas clean,” she said.

The cramped condition in evacuations centers could easily cause the outbreak of diseases, particularly involving young children, Valte said, assuring the people that the DOH is working to address the health concerns of the evacuees.

As to the water supply, teams from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) arrived in disaster areas with the water filtration systems, she added.

To address concerns on the possible outbreak of diseases because of decomposing dead bodies, Valte said President Benigno S. Aquino III has also ordered local government units and national agencies to coordinate their efforts in cleaning up and retrieval operations.

The latest data released on Saturday by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that death toll hit 456, while 533 were still missing.

Source: Xinhuanet

Category: Community