United Nations, June 06: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is moving quickly to support Sri Lanka in preventing outbreak of communicable diseases after severe floods and landslides damaged water supply and sewage systems in ''the country's worst natural disaster in 50 years''. Sri Lanka is facing a heightened risk of outbreak of diarrhoea and other diseases, caused when insects breed in dirty and stagnant water, WHO stated. The breakdown of solid waste management also poses severe threat to the environment.
''The top health priority at the moment is to ensure access to clean drinking water and food,'' WHO's representative in Sri Lanka, Kan Tun, said yesterday.
''The water infrastructure has been seriously damaged and food distribution systems in the affected areas have been disrupted. A large number of wells are inundated,'' Tun said. Flash floods and landslides hit villages in the south and southwest of Sri Lanka on May 17, killing 249 people. Many more are reported missing. Thousands lost their homes to the floods and have sought refuge in camps, where WHO fears poor living conditions may further worsen the risk of disease outbreak.
The agency is strengthening the country's disease surveillance by providing logistics support in the timely and comprehensive collection of data and early detection of the outbreak. In addition, WHO said it is providing health authorities with standard emergency health kits, rehydration salts, water purification tablets, essential vaccines and insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
A further shipment of water quality testing kits and essential medical supplies to the flood-affected population in Sri Lanka is underway. Bureau Report