Tsunami survivors are ready to live healthy

Health

Our work to build healthy communities, families and individuals is at the heart of Mercy Corps' vision for social change. By partnering with a range of partners, from village health committees to government agencies, we help build the means to improve maternal, newborn and child health, ensure proper nutrition and combat infectious diseases.

When a disaster initially happens, the first response is to take care of the injured and provide emergency relief to at least meet the basic needs of life. There is a second, and equally dangerous consequence which is often left until the issue needs to be attended — sickness from lack of proper sanitation.
In the internally-displaced person (IDP) camps adults and children are suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, fever, cough and itching in some parts of the body. Recently, children have broken out in measles, but there are only a few doctors on the island and the numbers have not been confirmed. Children have been taken to Sikakap at the beginning of last week, but there were no medicine to treat their conditions.