WHO Partners With NGO’s, Medical Teams To Tackle Possible Disease Outbreak In Nepal

With the country’s medical infrastructure completely damaged and the monsoon season looming, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working towards managing the possibility of the outbreak of diseases in earthquake-hit Nepal.

The organization is coordinating with various medical teams, who are providing medical emergencies in the affected areas. It has its own team of 130 medical experts to provide the primary health services.

What to Do During and After an Earthquake?
Developing countries have to be prepared for natural calamities like earthquakes and tsunamis and take steps to modernize their disaster management systems.

World Health Organization lead emergency response Dr. Roderico Ofrin confirmed that his team had been planning for the rainy season ever since the earthquake had hit the Himalayan nation.

Health services still remain the main challenge in quake-affected Nepal as many of the hospitals and primary health centers were destroyed during the earthquake. The WHO also praised the Nepal government and neighboring India for acting swiftly in providing relief to the affected people.

The WHO partnered with international medical teams and NGOs are working together and are providing logistic support by setting up facilities and primary health care centers in Nepal. It has provided 46 tones of medical supplies and equipments, needed by the country to support the destroyed health facilities.

Ground Zero - Growing Concerns
The recent calamities in China left the world quaking. One cannot help wondering if these ominous signs are a count down to Armageddon!

"As of now, the government has done a great job in terms of planning of recovery. Of course, it is so easy to say that it’s a plan but it is a plan that needs a lot of resources from other countries," said Dr. Ofrin.

Nepal’s economy is based on tourism, which has been affected because of the large scale destruction of monuments, including centuries-old temples, monasteries and palaces listed as world heritage sites by UNESCO.

Test Your Knowledge on Earthquakes
An earthquake occurs when moving tectonic plates get stuck at their edges due to friction. It releases energy in waves underneath the earth’s crust and causes the ground to shake. Certain geothermal areas are more prone to cluster of earthquakes but no scientist has ever been able to predict an earthquake. Some probabilities can be made based on scientific data.

Preparation is the only way to survive in the event of an earthquake. If you live in an earthquake zone, putting together an emergency supplies kit can make a difference between life and death during an earthquake. While earthquakes can be unavoidable in certain areas, planning, awareness and vigilance can help public reduce the damage to both life and property.

Simple precautions prior to the calamity like securing all heavy, hanging objects strongly like picture frames will ensure future safety. According to a study done by the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), 55% of the injuries during an earthquake were caused by falling furniture or objects. It was also noted that maximum injuries were also caused by people falling and behaving dangerously. Panic is a major source of danger at such times. Knowing what to do can ensure less panic and clearer thinking to act quickly.

Try this earthquake smart quiz to find out how earthquake ready are you and learn some simple ways to protect yourself and your family in the event of an earthquake.

The Nepal government is working to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure with the assistance of international community. The WHO and the Nepal Health ministry is accessing the health care facility by developing preparedness plans conducting drills and trainings, prepositioning medicines and setting emergency operations centers.

Source-ANI

After the Devastating Earthquake, Fresh Tremors Jolt Nepal Yet Again
Officials said that the tremors were not part of the aftershocks that have been rattling Nepal over the past week, but it was in fact a proper earthquake .