WHO helping Sri Lanka prevent disease outbreak after severe floods

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today it is moving quickly to support Sri Lanka in preventing outbreaks of communicable diseases after severe floods and landslides damaged water supply and sewage systems in what has become the country’s worst natural disaster in 50 years.

Sri Lanka is facing a heightened risk of outbreaks of diarrhoeal and vector-borne diseases, caused when insects breed in dirty and stagnant water, WHO stated. The breakdown of solid waste management also poses severe threats to the environment.

“The top health priority at the moment is to ensure access to clean drinking water and food,” WHO’s Representative in Sri Lanka, Kan Tun, said. “The water infrastructure has been seriously damaged and food distribution systems in the affected areas have been disrupted. A large number of wells are inundated.”

Extreme flash floods and landslides hit villages in the south and southwest of Sri Lanka on 17 May killing 249 people. Many more are reported missing. Thousands also lost their homes to the floods and have sought refugee in camps, where WHO fears poor living conditions may further increase the risk of disease outbreak.

The agency is strengthening the country’s disease surveillance by providing logistics support in the timely and comprehensive collection of data and early detection of outbreaks.

In addition, WHO said it is providing health authorities with standard emergency health kits, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, essential vaccines and insecticide-treated mosquito nets. A further shipment of water quality testing kits and essential medical supplies to the flood affected population in Sri Lanka is under way.