The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today reiterated the request to member countries to intensify disease surveillance after floods, because the rains could continue until next March.
The La Niña meteorological phenomenon will continue to affect South America and places an additional burden on health systems, for which it is necessary to quickly identify and control outbreaks that can have serious repercussions on public health, the entity considered.
In an epidemiological alert issued, PAHO pointed out that heavy rainfall has already impacted nations such as Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, among others, each already affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Floods and landslides can cause interruptions in water supply and sewerage, contamination of crops and food, he stressed.
It also included the displacement of populations to makeshift shelters, where they are exposed to overcrowding, lack of sanitation and different risk factors.
The PAHO alert warned that infection prevention and control measures are essential in these sheltered places to reduce the probability that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will spread and outbreaks of other diseases will occur.
Among the usual health events after the floods, he mentioned acute diarrhea and leptospirosis due to exposure to contaminated water.
The rapid and adequate treatment of these can save lives, said PAHO, which recommended establishing early warning and response systems to detect outbreaks and events that require immediate action.
The sources of information, he explained, are disease surveillance, those based on the community, environmental and ecological observations, plus data on health behavior such as the sale of medicines and products.
Contaminated water after the floods will require prevention, disinfection and communication measures, so he suggested implementing continuous local monitoring of water quality for human consumption and food preparation.
PAHO insisted on providing safe water in sufficient quantities and adequate information to all inhabitants.
