Mental health problems emerging among grieving Yolanda survivors – WHO

Almost six months after super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated parts of central Philippines, the local office of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that mental health problems are being observed among survivors as they continue to grieve and deal with the long-term impact of the loss of their loved ones, material possessions, and jobs.

Dr. Alice Ruth Foxwell, leader of the WHO-Philippines’ Alert, Control, and Eradicate Disease team, said the survivors' mental health status must be monitored.

“The WHO has been training local health workers in psychological first aid and community-based mental health care to help address the physical and mental health needs. We need to provide a really supportive environment because we need to make sure that everybody has resilience in mental health,” she said in an interview.

“I need it. You need it. And those who had been through the devastation of Yolanda, they really need it as well,” Foxwell added.

Documented as the most powerful typhoon to make landfall, Yolanda is estimated to have killed at least 6,300 people, with more than 1,000 still missing, when it hit Eastern Visayas on Nov. 8 last year.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), damage to property now stands at nearly P90 billion.

Citing statistics, Foxwell said Yolanda has affected 16 million people, displaced 4 million, and injured 28,689.

She also reported that one Department of Health (DOH) regional office had been destroyed while 42 hospitals, 105 rural health units, and 434 barangay health stations had been either damaged or destroyed.

WHO stresses commitment to survivors

“Six months after the event, we are seeing the emergence of mental health problems in communities with people coming to terms with the enormity of their loss, whether of loved ones, homes, or livelihoods,” said Dr. Julie Hall, WHO Country Representative in the Philippines, in a short statement released to mark the sixth month since Yolanda hit.

“The typhoon’s aftermath left the survivors in a state of shock. Some are bereaved, some newly disabled. To carry on, they need support. People are encouraged to listen to one another, look out for signs of distress and link to mental health services if needed. For children, it’s as simple as finding them a space to play,” the WHO said in a short documentary.

Foxwell said despite the “overwhelming” challenges posed by Yolanda from the national government level down to the barangay communities, “we, the WHO, are still there.”

“The WHO, the Philippine government, and local health partners are committed to building back better the health services, systems, and structures that have been affected by Yolanda.”

According to the WHO, it coordinated 150 foreign medical teams involving 2,469 doctors, nurses, midwives, and staff with an average stay of 47 days in the Yolanda-stricken areas. More than 5,000 surgeries had been done by these health personnel, said Foxwell.

She said 108,783 children have been vaccinated against measles; 49,902 against polio; and 31,390 had been given Vitamin A drops.

More than 500 tons of medical supplies and equipment, including medical shelters, hygiene and sanitations kits, were distributed to typhoon-ravaged areas.

“We are committed to providing the opportunity for everyone to be healthy and resilient through looking after mothers during pregnancy and childbirth, encouraging breastfeeding to give babies the best chances, immunizing infants and children and providing clean water and safe food to keep children healthy,” Foxwell said.

Dealing with disease outbreak

Cleaning up the environment to protect against vector-borne diseases such as dengue is also a must, she added.

The WHO-Philippines, Foxwell said, is working with public officials concerned together with its local, international, and civil society health partners in ensuring that the affected areas “move forward with a strong health system,” which includes:

• a surveillance system to detect and respond to outbreaks of disease early;
• safe hospitals with appropriate service for the local community;
• well-trained staff to assist in times of need; and
• a “supportive structure to ensure that policies can be made to drive future preparedness.”

“The Philippines needs a resilient and healthy population to come back from this disaster and continue to progress its economic and development goals,” Foxwell said.

She said that the organization is also working to help rebuild infrastructure so that they could  withstand future rainy seasons and natural disasters.

“This is critical to supporting local communities,” she said. “For example, resiliency in health services ensures that vaccination occurs with the appropriate frequency for disease prevention.”

Foxwell listed the following items as health priorities for the next six months:

• the repair or rebuilding of 582 public health facilities;
• further improvement in sanitation and hygiene;
• the maternal and child care involving 220,000 pregnant women, 147,000 breastfeeding mothers, and 70,000 newborn babies needing care;
• prevention of vector-borne diseases; and
• to address mental health issues, the training of health professionals in psycho-social support.

“We will focus on resilience in the health system as we move forward to make sure that people in the Yolanda-stricken areas have the best chance in the future when those winds come again and other disasters strike,” Foxwell said.

“In any system, there will always be strengths and weaknesses. I hate to say this but disasters such as Yolanda always provide us with many opportunities. The opportunities taken by the DOH and the WHO are to find those gaps and to fill them immediately,” she said. — BM, GMA News