Microsoft Word - DREF

Papua New Guinea:
Cholera, dysentery and
influenza outbreaks

DREF operation n° MDRPG004

Glide No.

EP-2009-000185-PNG

7 September, 2009

The International Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked
money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red
Cross and Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International
Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to
disasters.

CHF 43,878 (USD 41,339 or EUR 28,923) has been allocated from the Federation’s Disaster Relief
Emergency Fund (DREF) to support Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society (PNGRCS) in
delivering immediate assistance to some 5,000 beneficiaries. Unearmarked funds to repay DREF
are encouraged.

Summary:
A State of Emergency has been declared in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea in response to
outbreaks of cholera, influenza and dysentery across two districts within the province. There have been
99 reported cases of cholera and 9 deaths reported in the district of Tewai – Siassi to date. In
Menyamya district there are 205 reported cases of dysentery and 17 reported deaths as a result. In
addition, there was a further 278 reported cases of influenza with 14 reported deaths. The Papua New
Guinea Red Cross is in the process of mobilizing volunteers and relief stocks in an effort to support the
containment of the diseases.

The International Federation in support of Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society released the amount
of CHF 43,878 (USD 41,339 or EUR 28,923), in response to the outbreak through the Secretariat's Disaster
Relief Emergency Fund (DREF).

This operation is expected to be implemented over four months, and will therefore be completed by 7
January, 2010; a Final Report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by 7
April, 2010).

The major donors and partners of the DREF include the Danish Red Cross, Irish Red Cross/ Irish
government, Japanese Red Cross, Monaco Red Cross/ Monaco government, Netherlands Red Cross/
Netherlands government, Norwegian Red Cross/ Norwegian government, Swedish Red Cross/ Swedish
government, Italian government, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID),
ECHO, OPEC Fund for International Development, and corporate and private donors. Details of all donors
can be found

here

. The International Federation, on behalf of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society,

would like to thank all donors for their generous contributions.

<click here for the DREF budget, here for contact details

The situation

A cholera outbreak in Morobe province, Papua New Guinea which is said to have been first
detected on 28 July, was first reported to health personnel on 4 August. While the outbreak was
initially concentrated in the village of Nambariwa in the district of Tewai - Siassi, it had spread to a
further three villages: Lambutina, Towat and Wasu by 6 August

. As of 2 September there were

also cases being reported in a further two villages: Woka and Lailo. There is also growing concern
regarding the population of Lae in the Morobe provincial capital, (which has a population of
300,000), where there have been 14 reported cases and one reported death.

Simultaneously in the district of Menyamya, there have been 278 reported cases of influenza
resulting in 14 reported deaths; and a further 205 reported cases of dysentery with 17 reported
deaths. The outbreaks in Menyamya are currently isolated to three villages: Hakwenge, Wapi and
Kome.

Water specialists are looking at the chlorination levels of the water supply in Lae as it is a transit
point for the five highland provinces, the four Momase provinces: East Sepik, Madang, Morobe,
and West Sepik (Sandaun). This also includes the provinces of Milne Bay and Oro.

Two health assessment teams headed by the national department of health have been into the
cholera affected areas to assess the situation and determine response needs. The villages
affected by influenza and dysentery in the district of Menyamya are in a very remote area of the
Morobe province; and the district has limited communication. Health teams have to be air dropped
as there are no roads into this mountainous area. A health assessment team went to Menyamya
on 4 September and is expected to return to Lae on 7 September.

Coordination and partnerships

Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society (PNGRCS) is working with all relevant government and
non-governmental organizations in-country to address the outbreak.

A coordination and command centre for response operations, has been established in Port
Moresby and led by the outbreak coordination committee under the auspices of the national
department of health. This committee is supported by the government ministries and supported by
the national agriculture quarantine inspection authority (NAQUIA), the National Disaster Central,
the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecin Sans Frontières

(

MSF), United Nations Children’s

Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Australian Agency for
International Development (AusAID) and the PNGRCS. A sub-command centre is being set up in
Lae at the provincial division of health. Up to

two health staff have been deployed to the Wasu

area to support community health workers. There are three WHO staff, based in Lae providing
technical and practical support for coordination, clinical management and hospital infection control.
Up to

300,000 oral rehydration salt (ORS) sachets ordered by WHO are expected to arrive over the

weekend with a further 200,000 ORS as well as aquatabs and water containers on order

MSF are

also supporting the national department of health in their clinical response to the outbreaks.

Red Cross and Red Crescent action

PNGRCS is working closely with the coordination body at the national level and also at the
provincial level through its Morobe branch; where the branch is monitoring information and
forwarding it on to the headquarters. The Papua New Guinea government coordination body has
requested the assistance of PNGRCS in the dissemination of hygiene promotion materials to the
affected communities and to assist with efforts to contain the spread of disease. PNGRCS is
mobilizing an assessment team to go to the affected province. It is expected that they will mobilize
teams of volunteers to go to the affected areas to support the dissemination of information and
hygiene awareness materials as well as water containers and purification tablets in affected and
surrounding communities in coming days.

The needs

There have been requests from the Morobe provincial administration health advisor for drugs,
blankets, water containers, tarpaulins and food to assist people who are moving away from the
affected areas in fear of contracting disease.

The proposed operation

PNGRCS aims to support up to 5,000 people (approximately 1,000 families) for hygiene
promotions and hygiene items distribution. PNGRCS hopes to support up to 2,500 people in Tewai
– Siassi district and another 2,500 people in the Menyamya district.

Emergency health

Objective: Up to 5,000 people, (approximately 1,000 families) in Tewai – Siassi and Menyamya
districts are provided with information, education and communication materials as well as hygiene
items.

Activities planned:

•

deployment of relief items and personnel to affected areas; and

•

procurement of relief items including oral rehydration salt sachets and water containers

•

printing of hygiene promotion materials and associated costs

•

mobilization of the assessment team to affected areas

Capacity building

Objective: Improved capacity of PNGRCS staff and volunteers at branch and headquarters levels to
manage disaster relief operations

Activities planned:

•

training of volunteers

•

replenishment of relief items deployed from the branch emergency container

•

communications

How we work

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the

Code of Conduct for the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) in Disaster Relief

and is committed to the

Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards

in Disaster Response (Sphere)

in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

The International Federation’s activities
are aligned with its Global Agenda,
which sets out four broad goals to meet
the Federation's mission to "improve
the lives of vulnerable people by
mobilizing the power of humanity".

Global Agenda Goals:

•

Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from

disasters.

•

Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from

diseases and public health emergencies.

•

Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross

Red

Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of
vulnerability.

•

Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and

promote

respect for diversity and human dignity.

Contact information

For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:

In Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society:

•

Ms. Esme Sinape (Secretary General), email:

hqpngrcs@online.net.pg

, phone +675 325 2145.

Pacific regional office in Suva, Fiji:

•

Ms. Aurélia Balpe, Head of regional office, email:

aurelia.balpe@ifrc.org

, or Ms. Ruth Lane, Regional

disaster risk reduction delegate,

ruth.lane@ifrc.org

, phone: +679 3311 855, fax: +679 3311 406

Asia Pacific Zone office in Malaysia:

•

Jagan Chapagain (Deputy head of Asia Pacific Zone), email:

jagan.chapagain@ifrc.org

•

phone: +6 03 9207 5700

•

Disaster management unit: Mr. Daniel Bolaños González (Regional disaster response delegate), email:

daniel.bolanos@ifrc.org

; phone: + 60 3 9207 5729, mobile: +60 12 283 7305

•

Resource mobilization & PMER unit: Ms. Penny Elghady (RM & PMER coordinator), email:

penny.elghady@ifrc.org

, phone: +60 3 9207 5771

•

For pledges of funding:

zonerm.asiapacific@ifrc.org

<DREF budget; click here to return to the title page>