Myanmar Cyclone Nargis

Survivors of the cyclone in Myanmar, where as many as 100,000 people may have died, will continue to face many health-related challenges.

People affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 were susceptible to diarrhea, cholera, dysentery and typhoid. The Myanmar survivors also could be vulnerable to vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever.

AHCJ has gathered resources about the Myanmar situation and articles and resources about the health effects of the 2004 tsunami.

Recent stories

NPR: The Deadly Corpse Myth
Authorities in China and Myanmar are concerned that the bodies of victims of natural disasters could cause epidemics among survivors. But public health officials say the likelihood that dead bodies imperil the lives of survivors is remote. Alex Chadwick talks with Dr. Oliver Morgan, an epidemiologist who has studied the links between death and infection.

Myanmar information:

WHO's situation report from May 6, 2008 [PDF 69kb]

More WHO information about Myanmar

ReliefWeb is designed to "assist the international humanitarian community in effective delivery of emergency assistance, it provides timely, reliable and relevant information as events unfold, while emphasizing the coverage of "forgotten emergencies" at the same time." ReliefWeb is administered by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. ReliefWeb has resources specifically on the health situation in Myanmar following the cyclone.

NewsNow is updating news about Myanmar every five minutes

CIA World Factbook information about Myanmar

CDC health information for travelers to Myanmar

U.S. Department of State Travel Warning: Cyclone Nargis (May 7, 2008)

Satellite images of Myanmar from before and after the cyclone

Information and images of Myanmar from NASA

UNICEF sends relief supplies as Cyclone Nargis toll climbs

Journal articles related to health effects of the 2004 tsunami:

After the Tsunami — Facing the Public Health Challenges (NEJM, Feb. 3, 2005)

Mental Health Problems Among Adults in Tsunami-Affected Areas in Southern Thailand (JAMA, Aug. 2, 2006)
Among survivors of the tsunami in southern Thailand, elevated rates of symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression were reported eight weeks after the disaster, with higher rates for anxiety and depression than PTSD symptoms. Nine months after the disaster, the rates of those reporting these symptoms decreased but were still elevated.

Psychosocial Care for Adult and Child Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami Disaster in India (American Journal of Public Health, August 2006)

The June 28, 2005, issue of PLoS Medicine carried several articles about the aftermath of the tsunami:

Revisiting the Tsunami: Health Consequences of Flooding (PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)
Should Health Professionals Allow Reporters Inside Hospitals and Clinics at Times of Natural Disasters?(PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)
How Women Were Affected by the Tsunami: A Perspective from Oxfam(PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)
How the Cochrane Collaboration Is Responding to the Asian Tsunami (PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)
Addressing Psychosocial Needs in the Aftermath of the Tsunami (PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)
Meeting the Health Needs of Migrant Workers Affected by the Tsunami (PLoS Medicine, June 28, 2005)

Articles and resources related to health effects of the 2004 tsunami:

Doctors Debate Tsunami Health Impact: Public Health Experts Question the Potential Effects of Flooding, Shelters and Disposal of Bodies (ABC News, Jan. 6, 2005)

CDC page on public health issues related to tsunamis

General Information on Tsunami-Related Diseases and Health Concerns from the CDC
Includes information about cholera, diarrhea, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, leptospirosis, parasitic diseases, typhoid fever, plague, malaria, dengue, tetanus and much more.

South Asia earthquake and tsumanis from the World Health Organization
Information about the public health response, updates after the disaster and lessons learned.

Health Concerns Associated with Disaster Victim Identification After a Tsunami (CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 15, 2005)
Includes a list of public health and safety recommendations for operation of a temporary morgue.

The struggle for health after cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh (The Lancet Student, Dec. 12, 2007)

Health related response to natural disasters: the case of the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991 (Social Science and Medicine, April 1993)

Possible sources:

Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
The department's faculty conducts extensive research on pathogenic microorganisms and the diseases they cause, including dengue, West Nile, AIDS, hepatitis, viral and bacterial encephalitis, malaria, tuberculosis and Kawasaki disease. Phone: 808-692-1617. Graduate Chair: Sandra Chang, Ph.D.; sandrac@hawaii.edu

The Asia-Pacific Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases is based at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i. Phone: 808-692-1600

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières response in Myanmar
Media contact: Michael Goldfarb, press officer, 212-763-5783 or michael_goldfarb@msf.org

Duane J. Gubler, Sc.D., is director of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, as well as professor and chair of the Department of Tropical Medicine and Medical Microbiology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Phone: 808-692-1606; e-mail: dgubler@hawaii.edu

The Sphere Project offers training and a handbook geared toward improving disaster assistance. The project, based in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded by by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. E-mail: info@sphereproject.org or telephone: 41 22 730 45 23

The Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network is a collaboration of institutions and networks who pool human and technical resources for the rapid identification, confirmation and response to international outbreaks. The network was activated to respond to the Indian Ocean tsunami. Media contact: Gregory Hartl, telephone: 41 22 791 4458 and e-mail: hartlg@who.int.

Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance
phone: 808-433-7035 or e-mail: pr@coe-dmha.org