In Samoa, UNICEF "is preparing for a mass measles vaccination and vitamin A" campaign for 11,000 children, ABC Radio Australia reports. "Infectious diseases could easily take hold in a disaster-hit community, and UNICEF has offered the Samoan government the immunisation option." The story includes an interview with Philip Mann, who is responsible for UNICEF's health and nutrition program in Samoa (10/7). Reuters AlertNet examines the situation in Vietnam after "Typhoon Ketsana hit the country's central coast, killing at least 163 people and displacing 150,000." According to the news service, "disease and hunger loom as flood waters stagnate and thousands of people remain cut off from help." The number of diarrhea and malaria cases has increased and some clinics have run out of drugs. The article includes information from aid workers on the ground (Dmitracova, 10/6).   In Indonesia, "[f]oreign medical teams" went deeper into the disaster zone Wednesday, "treating victims of last week's massive earthquake but also dealing with crowds wanting help for other illnesses," the AP reports. According to the news service, "West Sumatra had no functioning health system even before the quake and an influx of international aid has prompted all sorts of people to seek help."

Yoshi Kazu Yamada, the deputy head of a Japanese medical team, said, "At first it was flesh wounds, but now it is more people seeking help for chronic conditions like diabetes ... These problems were not caused by the quake but they need care. Our facilities are free so people are coming from all around the region ” people who would not have gone to see a doctor before" (Talmadge, 10/7). IRIN examines the trauma and stress experienced by earthquake survivors. The article also explores the impact on children (10/6).

This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.