Puyehue Volcano in Chile erupted on June 4, and so far it has been reported 4,000 people evacuated approximately. The National Emergency Office (ONEMI) maintains the Red Alert in communities from Los Lagos and Los Rios Regions. The phenomenon also affected Argentina. The city of Bariloche, in Argentina, declared a health emergency and recommends to its citizens to remain at home. If they do go out, the Ministry of Health has recommended the use of masks to cover the nose and mouth.
Situation Report 1 Volcano Chile/Argentina June 9, 2011
In this situation, the health sector response has been swift. Health facilities assist the population during extended hours and the national authorities have already sent to the area 310,000 masks, eye drops, chlorine tablets and water purification equipment. Health recommendations in these cases are aimed to ensure quality control of air and drinking water, to prevent diseases caused by volcanic ash and to maintain sanitary conditions in shelters and waste disposal, among others.
Most active volcanoes in the world are in Latin America and the Caribbean, and millions of people live in villages and towns located nearby. Throughout history, many of these volcanoes have shown great capacity for destruction. In order to avoid loss of lives and damages, PAHO/WHO continues to provide support to countries to prepare contingency plans in the health sector to deal with such emergencies.