Archive for February, 2018
Doctors Without Borders: ~10,000 homeless migrants in Italy are living in makeshift settlements, occupying abandoned buildings or out in the open while their asylum bids are being processed.
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Disaster Relief for Puerto Rico; Is it enough?
Friday, February 9th, 2018“….Puerto Rico, along with the United States Virgin Islands, certainly has reason to cheer: The deal includes $4.8 billion to replenish dwindling Medicaid funds, $2 billion to restore the shredded power grid and $9 billion for housing and urban development projects.
But the funding falls tens of billions of dollars short of what Puerto Rico says it needs to come back from the devastating storm…..”
Brazil: The weekly yellow fever update shows another steep rise in the number of confirmed cases, which are now at 353, an increase of 140 cases from the previous week.
Friday, February 9th, 2018
Taiwan: nine dead and 62 others missing
Thursday, February 8th, 2018“Many of the missing were believed to be trapped in the 12-story Yun Men Tsui Ti building, which housed a small hotel, apartments and a hot-pot restaurant. About 196 people have been rescued so far from that building and three others.
About 800 people went to bed in shelters on Wednesday….”
Chile: During the long fight over the food law, Senator Girardi, 56, publicly assailed big food companies as “21st century pedophiles”
Thursday, February 8th, 2018“….Until the late 1980s, malnutrition was widespread among poor Chileans, especially children. Today, three-quarters of adults are overweight or obese, according to the country’s health ministry. Officials have been particularly alarmed by childhood obesity rates that are among the world’s highest, with over half of 6-year-old children overweight or obese.
In 2016, the medical costs of obesity reached $800 million, or 2.4 percent of all health care spending, a figure that analysts say will reach nearly 4 percent in 2030…..”
South Sudan declares the end of its longest cholera outbreak
Thursday, February 8th, 2018uba, South Sudan, 07 February 2018 – South Sudan declared the end of its longest and largest cholera outbreak on Wednesday (February 07), with no new cases of cholera reported in over seven weeks.
The fight against cholera in South Sudan has involved a range of partners working together to enhance surveillance, deploy rapid response teams to investigate and respond to cases, provide clean water, promote good hygiene practices and treat cholera patients.
To enhance outbreak response efforts, the government worked with the European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO), securing 2.2 million doses of the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) from the Gavi-funded global stockpile.
In 2017 more than 885,000 people at higher risk of cholera were immunized in the first round and nearly 500,000 people also received a second round of the vaccine. Due to security challenges, not everyone was able to receive the recommended two doses, which would significantly decrease their risk of being affected by cholera.
“Cholera is a virulent disease which spreads when hygiene and sanitation are inadequate,” said Evans Liyosi, WHO Acting Representative to South Sudan. “I congratulate South Sudan for resolving to tackle cholera with determination. But cholera is endemic to South Sudan and many risk factors remain. It is important to maintain the ability to detect and respond to new cases.”
The outbreak was declared on 18 June 2016 and spread to many parts of the country, including the capital Juba. By the time the last confirmed cholera case was discharged on 18 December 2017, over 20,000 suspected cholera cases and 436 deaths were reported.
The country is dealing with several complex health emergencies with 5.1 million people in need of health assistance. Armed conflict has forced almost 4 million people to flee their homes.
Nearly 5 million people, more than 40% of the population, are severely food insecure. These challenges place a huge burden on the country’s health system, while the sanitation infrastructure needs further strengthening.
“The achievements of South Sudan’s cholera programme are impressive,” said Mr Liyosi. “But in a few months a new rainy season will begin, increasing the risk of cholera. Together we must stay on the alert for warning signs that could signal another outbreak.”
Taiwan eyewitness: “The Tung-Shuai hotel of Hualian City falls down, very scary!”
Wednesday, February 7th, 2018
PAGER
Estimated Fatalities
Estimated Economic Losses
Structure Information Summary
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and adobe block construction.
Secondary Effects
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Taiwan: 4 dead, 225 injured, & more than 140 unaccounted for
Wednesday, February 7th, 2018
| Magnitude | Mw 6.4 |
| Region | TAIWAN |
| Date time | 2018-02-06 15:50:43.0 UTC |
| Location | 24.14 N ; 121.72 E |
| Depth | 15 km |
| Distances | 102 km S of Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China / pop: 7,872,000 / local time: 23:50:43.0 2018-02-06 22 km NE of Hualian, Taiwan, Province of China / pop: 351,000 / local time: 23:50:43.0 2018-02-06 |
England: 6,225 cases of scarlet fever had been reported since mid-September 2017, compared to 3,764 for the same period last season.
Wednesday, February 7th, 2018Common Symptoms of Scarlet Fever
- A very red, sore throat
- A fever (101° F or above)
- A red rash with a sandpaper feel
- Bright red skin in the creases of the underarm, elbow, and groin
- A whitish coating on the tongue
- A “strawberry” (red and bumpy) tongue
- Swollen glands in the neck
Other general symptoms include:
- Headache or body aches
- Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain