Bouma, Menno

Keiluhu, Kace

Subianto, Budi

ter Veen, Annemarie

van Herp, Michel

PubMed

Ter Veen, A

Bouma, M

van Herp, M

Keiluhu, K

Subianto, B

LSHTM Research Online

Ter Veen, A; Bouma, M; van Herp, M; Keiluhu, K; Subianto, B (2005)Deficiencies in disaster funding - Malaria epidemics are predicted intsunami regions from El Nino conditions. BMJ (Clinical research ed),330 (7493). p. 733. ISSN 0959-8138Downloaded from: http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/13689/DOI:Usage GuidelinesPlease refer to usage guidelines at http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/policies.html or alterna-tively contact researchonline@lshtm.ac.uk.Available under license: Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercialhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/LettersBMJ 2005; 330 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7493.733-b (Published 24 March 2005) Cite this as:BMJ 2005;330:733Annemarie ter Veen, research student (Annemarie.terVeen@lshtm.ac.uk), Menno Bouma, honorarylecturer, Michel van Herp, epidemiologist, Kace Keiluhu, assistant medical coordinator, Budi Subianto,headLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Disease Control and VectorBiology Unit, London WC1E 7HTMedical Department, MSF-Belgium, rue Dupre 94, B1090 Brussels, BelgiumMSF-Belgium-Indonesia, Jln Kemang Utara No 32, Jakarta 12730, IndonesiaHealth Section, Unicef, PO Box 8318/JKSMP, Jakarta 12083EDITOR—Walker et al describe the deficiencies in disaster funding.1 The association between the El Niñosouthern oscillation and health has been documented extensively, and it is now possible to predict theseevents with increasing accuracy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded in late2004 that El Niño conditions have developed and are expected to last through early 2005.2 Expected impactsincluded drier than average conditions over Indonesia and northern Australia until February 2005,2 followedby a period of raised temperatures.An association between El Niño and malaria epidemics has been predicted for Papua New Guinea and WestPapua, Indonesia.3 4 Historical records indicate that highland malaria epidemics in Papua follow periods ofdrought, evident during 1997-8 when a widespread epidemic affected many highland villages, some withextremely high death rates owing to lack of immunity and complete absence of treatment.3 5 Highlandepidemics often exhibited two peaks: one towards the end of the drought resulting from increased vectorbreeding, and one four to six months later, when increased temperatures shortened the sporogonic cycle.Humanitarian attention is rightfully directed towards aiding victims of the tsunami in the region, but in the lightof such a massive effort, possible events of seemingly lesser importance are often neglected. In view of therisk of focal epidemics in drought affected areas, it would be advantageous if healthcare professionals in thePapuan highlands were vigilant for possible malaria epidemics and had preventive or curative resources attheir disposal.Competing interests None declared.Deficiencies in disaster funding | The BMJ http://www.bmj.com/content/330/7493/733.3.full.print?1 of 2 16/12/2015 19:081.Walker P, Wisner B, Leaning J, Minear L.Smoke and mirrors: deficiencies in disaster funding.BMJ2005;330:247–50. (29 January.)2.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA announces the return of El Niño. 10 September 2004.www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2317.htm (accessed 5 Mar 2005).3.Bangs M, Subianto B.El Niño and associated outbreaks of severe malaria in highland populations in Irian Jaya,Indonesia: a review and epidemiological perspective.Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health.1999; 30:608–19.4.Schuurkamp GJ.Epidemiology of malaria and filariasis in the Ok Tedi region of western province, Papua NewGuinea  [PhD thesis]. University of Papua New Guinea,1992.5.Glantz MH, ed. Once burned, twice shy: lessons learned from the 1997-98 El Niño.Tokyo, Japan:UN UniversityPress,2001.Deficiencies in disaster funding | The BMJ http://www.bmj.com/content/330/7493/733.3.full.print?2 of 2 16/12/2015 19:08

Deficiencies in disaster funding - Malaria epidemics are predicted in tsunami regions from El Nino conditions

http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/13689/1/Deficiencies%20in%20disaster%20funding%20_%20The%20BMJ.pdf

Deficiencies in disaster funding: Malaria epidemics are predicted in tsunami regions from El Niño conditions

Deficiencies in disaster funding: Malaria epidemics are predicted in tsunami regions from El Niño conditions

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