SINGAPORE, September 29, 2015 /PressReleasePing/ - The 1st Asian 'Post-Disaster Epidemiological Susceptibilities and Pandemic Outbreak' assessment, (DESPO-Asia Appraisal 2015), austerely warns of the worsening situation in the conjoint 'two-fold' or 'bi-effect aftermath' of cyclone KOMEN and high tides from the heavy monsoon.

According to the Global Emergency Overview by ACAPS, the recent flooding has been reported as "the worst flooding in 200 years."

The torrential tides of cyclone Komen that have already swamped considerably abundant parts of Asia, carried high epidemics along with it; putting the children and disabled at risk. These risks may include life-long ailments; DESPO's P.I. and chief epidemiologist Prof Qadhi Aurangzeb Al Hafi has notified the UN agencies and the concerned authorities of the affected countries of the Asian floods of 2015.
According to Post-DESPO appraisal, "A considerable number of cases suggest 'evident presence' of Leptospirosis, that is appearing for the 1st time at a substantial extent, on post-disastrous scenes in recent history of natural catastrophes."

Malnutrition rates in children, particularly those in Bangladesh's and Myanmar's refugees camps is becoming thrice the emergency threshold, measured as per the UN's WFP-WHO laid parameters, cautions DESPO-Asia 2015.

Situation Overview:

Despite the fact that every year, annual monsoons bring floods, however this year, the disastrous situation has converted exceptionally hazardous due to an accumulation of factors including the 'bi-fold twin-effect' of KOMEN's storm tides and the seasonal monsoons.

The flooding and landslides triggered by monsoons across Asia and the adjoining zones have, wreaked a havoc in several constituencies of Bangladesh, China, India, Korea, Myanmar and Pakistan at present, and may bring along many hazardous issues, warns DESPO-Asia 2015.

Parts of Asia, especially Bangladesh and Myanmar along with India and Pakistan, now stand on verge of bearing the consequential out-breaks of 2015's 'twin-effect' aftermath, in terms of severe health problems as well as psycho-social and economic issues.

The UN has already indicated "It could be days before the real extent of disaster emerges."
In Myanmar, however admissibly, the disastrous state of affairs is more extensive and stringent than rest of Asia, on account of an intricate factors.

According to the parameters adopted in ACAPS Disaster Summary Sheet of Global Emergency, the 'DESPO Disaster Impact Measurement System' (DIMS) as well as in view of the updated data analysis from UN agencies and the most recent ACAP briefing note on Asian floods of 2015, all of the core-indicators suggest that Myanmar bears the 'Highest Emergency' zone's hallmarks.

As an important core-segment, besides entailing the technical aspects of the post-disastrous situation, the DESPO-2015 also sheds light on Myanmar's ongoing state of oppressiveness, that has already been well-crossing all of the defined extents of a 'hard genocidal clamp-down'. This ethnic genocidal clamp-down is essentially of a 'dehumanizing' nature, in which the ever-oppressed ethnic minority Rohingya's children are incarcerated hitherto.

The already 'pre-existing worst-case-scenario' of the Rohingya children, that are being enslaved and remain prone to high fractions of mortality and different forms of life-long disabilities, is now getting an additional multiplicative factor. And, the situation henceforth, is effectively entering to a 'precinct-zone of higher endangerments', up to considerable as well as understandable extents.

"The UN agencies, the rights groups and others are required to remain vigilant in order to save the precious lives of these desperate and lonely children," compels DESPO-Asia 2015.

Key-Findings:

The twin-effect disaster has now started and is beginning to unfold, as the days pass and the severity of the situation emerges.

In most of the hard-hit areas of Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar and Pakistan poorly maintained sewers are overflowing, carrying along heavy toxins and remnant industrial waste thus contaminating the drinking water supplies. Many samples from the disaster effected and IDPs camps, bear high toxicity concentrations and strong evidence suggests the presence of arsenic along with a considerable number of other toxins coming from industrial sewers. And if, the situation prevails for another 10-15 days, it would be emerging as a host to a number of hazardous ailments, especially among pregnant women and small children.

The present disaster is perhaps the first known in recent history to carry-forth a considerable number of 'Leptospirosis' leading to severe Pulmonary Haemorrhage Syndrome (PHS), Lymphocytic Chorio-Meningitis (LCMV), Acute Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.

DESPO warns of more cases bearing the disease-pattern in near future. Most of the identified cases are within the flood effected areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. However the same cannot be ruled out for India and Pakistan.

Major indicators have been identified suggesting the strong potential of pandemic outbreaks such as cholera and diarrheal diseases that are directly linked to cell mediated immunity (CMI), mal-nutrition and mal-absorption.



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