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The World
Health Organization and its Health Cluster partners in Myanmar
have approved a six-month US$28 million action plan to provide immediate
health care for cyclone survivors, and support longer-term efforts to
rebuild the country’s ravaged health care system.
The Health
Cluster Joint Plan of Action addresses the humanitarian needs of
communities affected by Cyclone Nargis in the Ayeyarwady Delta region and Yangon,
with a particular focus on people living in temporary shelters and
relocation sites.
The
objectives of the Joint Plan of Action are to:
Assess and monitor health needs and strengthen disease
surveillance
Respond to outbreaks and other health threats,
strengthen disease control and fill gaps critical to delivering health care
Strengthen and repair systems and build capacity
Engage national and international partners to
coordinate a joint health sector response
“Building back better” is the guiding principle of the
Joint Action Plan, said Dr Eric Laroche,
Assistant Director-General of WHO’s Health Action in Crises and head of the
Global Health Cluster effort established to respond to the Myanmar crisis.
The Cluster will respond to critical and life threatening gaps in the
health care system and help strengthen and repair health infrastructure.
“While
continuing with the emergency phase, WHO is
assisting the government of Myanmar
in strengthening the existing health systems,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Deputy Regional Director for WHO’s
Regional Office for South-East Asia. “We
are preparing an early recovery plan which will dovetail into Myanmar’s
national health plan. WHO is advocating a community-based approach to
strengthen Myanmar’s
national and local health systems," she added. Dr Poonam Singh is
heading WHO Myanmar emergency operations.
WHO and
the medical charity organization Merlin co-chair the Health Cluster, which
comprises more than 40 partners including numerous UN agencies and more
than two dozen international NGOs. The US$28 million needed for the plan
includes US$10 million for WHO
activities.
The Joint Plan of Action also aims to
prevent and control communicable diseases, such as diarrhoea,
pneumonia, tetanus, measles, dengue fever and malaria. It advocates the
continuation of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS care and treatment; prevention
and containment of vector-borne diseases and handling of snake bites.
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