The European Union Head of Delegation Ambassador Guy Ledoux, together with Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard Gordon, PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, and the IFRC Country Representative in the Philippines Selvaratnam Sinnadurai will visit Red Cross implementation sites of European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) project in Cagayan de Oro this week.
The ECHO project in Cagayan de Oro will run for 3 months focusing on relief operations and hygiene promotion.
The team will check on the reported outbreak of leptospirosis in some evacuation center, which as of 01 January 2012 has reached a total of 171 cases with 3 deaths, according to DOH.
The Red Cross has deployed 11 health teams, one each for the 11 evacuation centers in CDO.
The Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) will distribute hygiene kits and will conduct hygiene promotion among the evacuees. The Red Cross in coordination with the Department of Health will distribute doxycycline tablets for preventive treatment for at risk individuals. This is as well paired with an intensified health information campaign on the prevention of leptospirosis.
European Union and PRC will visit the Xavier University relocation site where Red Cross will build 1,000 shelters for families displaced by tropical storm Sendong.
The property measuring 5 hectares located in barangay Lumbia CDO, was donated by Xavier University to the affected families through the Red Cross.
The Red Cross team will distribute food and non-food items in Tibasak and Makasandig evacuation centers.
PRC works closely with its Movement partners led by International Federation of the Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Partner National Societies as well as its local corporate partners.
The Red Cross lauded its hundreds of volunteers who have been working without let up since Day 1 of the disaster.