Papua New Guinea: Cholera/Dysentery/Influenza Outbreaks - Sep 2009

In brief

This annual report focuses on the work of the Asia Pacific zone office in 2010 to provide leadership and guidance to IFRC efforts to increase the impact of Asia Pacific national societies’ humanitarian activities. Many societies across the zone have maintained a high level of programming in several new disaster response operations and continued comprehensive post-disaster recovery activities, while others have started reviewing their development activities in line with IFRC’s newly adopted Strategy 2020.

Updated January 31, 2011 18:22:13

An Australian Red Cross nurse and aid worker says it's frustrating seeing people in Papua New Guinea's Western Province dying of a preventable disease like cholera.

Libby Bowell, who was in the area assisting the PNG Red Cross cope with a cholera outbreak, says basic knowledge about hygiene and access to good quality drinking water are what's needed to contain the disease.

But she says there are huge difficulties in combating the spread of cholera in such a remote area, and its clear the PNG Red Cross is going to need …

PNG correspondent Liam Fox

There's been a sharp rise in the number of cholera infections in Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby.

Health authorities have revealed there were 295 serious cases of cholera in Port Moresby in December.

So far this month, there have been a further 138.

One man died from the acute intestinal infection last week.

The city's cholera task force leader, Dr Timothy Pyakalyia, says wet weather and large gatherings of people over the holidays are to blame for surge in infections.

"We need co-operation from the people because …

Period covered by this update: Update till the 30 May 2010

Summary: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) extension was granted on 7 October 2009 for CHF 359,058 to the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society to reach 300,000 people in 13 out of 20 provinces. Initially, CHF 43,878 (EUR 28,923 or USD 41,339) was allocated from DREF to support the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society (PNGRCS) in delivering immediate assistance to some 5,000 beneficiaries on 7 September 2009 in response to the outbreak.

PNGRCS met the …

The cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea has now affected almost 3,000 people.

The PNG Health Department believes this latest outbreak has been sparked by unhygienic conditions in coastal villages and have appealed to affected communities to clean their homes, safely discard rubbish, boil drinking water and improve hand hygiene.

Restrictions are still in place for travel between PNG and Australia's Torres Strait Islands.

Enoch Posanai, from the PNG Health Department says while they can cofirm 300 deaths from Cholera....

DARU, 23 November 2010 (IRIN) - Health workers have set up oral rehydration salt (ORS) tents and a cholera treatment centre on this tiny island in western Papua New Guinea, all the while advising people to "boil your drinking water, wash your hands, and cook your food", in a bid to control an outbreak that has killed dozens in this region.

Of the 870 reported cases at Daru hospital on this island in Western Province, near Australia, there are now 30 confirmed deaths, but the outbreak is described as under control by health workers.

There is, however, growing concern …

Australian Government
AusAID Media Release

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS - KEVIN RUDD

The Australian Government is providing comprehensive emergency support to the Government of Papua New Guinea, in response to a confirmed outbreak of cholera on Daru Island, in PNG's Western Province.

Further medical supplies and emergency experts will arrive in Papua New Guinea tomorrow from Australia to provide additional support.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd today said containing the outbreak was important.

'We are sending more supplies of intravenous fluids, oral salts and water purification tablets as well emergency …

PORT MORESBY, 11 November 2010 (IRIN) - Cholera has spread to the coastal town of Daru in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s Western Province - close to Australia - claiming 16 lives and hospitalizing hundreds, according to the National Department of Health.

On 11 November, the government confirmed a cholera outbreak in Daru; 300 people have been treated in hospital since the first case was reported there at end-October. The Health Department's acting secretary, Paul Dopsie, said treated cases were "under control" in Daru and surrounding villages.

Updated November 11, 2010 09:25:42

The deaths of more than a dozen children following an outbreak of cholera on one of Papua New Guinea's Torres Strait Islands has raised concerns that the disease might spread to other islands, as well to the PNG and Australian mainland.

Those cases identified so far have centred on heavily populated Daru Island, where many other victims are in hospital.

But at the moment there appears to be limited cause for more widespread alarm, with Dr Steven Donohue from Queensland Health - the Australian state closest to the Torres Strait - saying …

Australia will provide $50 million to churches in Papua New Guinea over six years to deliver critical health and education services to the poorest, most disadvantaged and remote people of PNG.

These services include building medical centres for people with HIV and AIDS, operating health clinics and schools in remote areas, training medical workers and school teachers and running primary schools.

PNG churches help to resolve community conflicts, respond to disasters and improve the income of PNG's poorest people through growing and marketing cash crops.

Australia's support …

Note: Map production date estimated

The cholera epidemic in Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, is getting worse.

At least seven people have died and there are now said to be as many as 600 suspected cases that have been detected since August, in coastal villages around Port Moresby.

Last month, PNG's Health Minister declared a public health emergency in the capital, and at the time, there were media reports that funds to fight the epidemic had dried up.

A Health Specialist with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in PNG, David Thomson, says the problem is again, a lack of hygiene, clean water and …

Health officials in Papua New Guinea say they are concerned about a lack of government support in dealing with the latest cholera outbreak.

Seven people have died and there are more than 570 suspected cases in the outbreak, centred in coastal villages around Port Moresby.

PNG's's Health Minister, Sasa Zibe, has already declared a public health emergency in the capital.

But PNG's Post Courier newspaper reports funds to fight the epidemic have dried up.

Cholera Taskforce representative Dr Tim Pyakalyia says the government has yet to release a promised three …

Papua New Guinea's Minister of Health says he is confident the cholera outbreak in Port Moresby is under control.

Authorities declared a public health emergency last week after five people died.

The country has been battling cholera in the northern provinces of Madang, Morobe and East Sepik since August last year.

Liam Fox, Port Moresby

Cholera has spread to Papua New Guinea's capital and killed three people.

After spreading across PNG's north coast over the last 10 months, cholera has arrived in Port Moresby, in the south.

Two men have died from the acute intenstinal infection in Elevala village, on the city's waterfront.

There has been another death at a village further up the coast.

The medical director of the St John health service, Raipen Dikinsep, says a treatment centre is being set up to isolate suspected cases.

"Since Friday, up until today, we have had a …

This report covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2009

In brief

Programme summary: The Pacific region experienced both large and small disasters in 2009. In the first two months of the year, Pacific Red Cross national societies responded to flooding in Fiji caused by a tropical depression; flooding caused by sea swells in Papua New Guinea and Kiribati; and devastating bushfires in Australia. Later in the year, teams were mobilized to provide immediate relief and ongoing psychological support to survivors of the sinking of the Princess Ashika Ferry in Tonga.

Updated April 21, 2010 08:18:24

The number of people infected with cholera in Papua New Guinea is continuing to rise. The World Health Organisation says since the outbreak began in August, 60 people have died and there have been almost 3,000 reported cases across the provinces of Madang, Morobe and East Sepik.

Speaker: Dr Eigil Sorensen, PNG representative, World Health Organisation

Listen: Windows Media

Main messages

Whilst the full report and its executive summary is organized around the nine tasks articulated in the Review's terms of reference, this opening section provides the cross?cutting messages which emerged from our consultations and analysis.

The status quo is not an option. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the aid program in both Papua New Guinea and in Australia, at various levels, political, bureaucratic, stakeholder, and in the media.

BANGKOK, 15 April 2010 (IRIN) - A serious outbreak of cholera in Papua New Guinea (PNG) which has killed nearly 60 people shows signs of subsiding, government health officials say.

"The situation has improved in recent weeks," Victor Golpak, the government's national response coordinator for cholera, told IRIN from Port Moresby.

According to the country's National Department of Health, close to 3,000 cases have been reported in the Pacific island nation since August, with the vast majority at the onset of the outbreak.

Of these, 766 were reported in …