WHO Jakarta WHO Banda Aceh 9/F, Bina Mulia 1 Building Jl. Alue Blang Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. 10-11 Loron g Seulanga No. 100 Kuningan – Jakarta 12950 Lamlagang – Banda Aceh Tel: (62-21) 520-4349 Tel: (62-651) 740-7612 Fax: (62-21) 520-1164 Fax: (62-651) 635-308

Allison Bridges, Public Information Officer Tel: 0813 1429 8580 Email: [email protected]

Assessments were conducted in order identify Nias weaknesses and design a comprehensive health system recovery strategy. WHO supported a detailed Nias, an island in the Province of North Sumatra, assessment of the status and needs of the remaining suffered from two natural disasters within a three Public Health Centres (Puskesmas) and an assessment month period. The tsunami resulted in 140 lost lives, of water and sanitation challenges and interventions. hundreds of homeless and 20% of the area damaged. More extreme losses followed when a massive As communicable diseases are a persistent threat in earthquake occurred on March 28, 2005. More than any emergency, the revitalization of the Nias 900 lives were lost and 2,400 people injured. Over half surveillance and response system was a priority of of the health facilities were destroyed or damaged and WHO. Weekly reporting was established and the those remaining were operating under reduced results were disseminated in the epidemiological capacity with fewer heath personnel and limited bulletin. Epidemiological outbreak alerts were supplies. investigated following reports of suspected cholera, measles, tuberculosis and polio. In addition, training was provided for District Health Office staff in collecting and analyzing epidemiological data and use of a GIS Health Mapping System.

Achievements • Provided supplies such as 98 Emergency Health Kits, 10 Basic Health Kits and 2,000 Malaria Rapid Detection Kits to hospitals, IDP camps, mobile clinics and other health centres • Provided computers, 5 motorcycles and 2 cars to support activities in District Health Offices and Health Centres • Supported Government efforts to organize a rehabilitation plan for the Gunung Sitoli Hospital and the coordination of basic health services for IDPs • Supported the District Health Office in providing capacity building trainings for staff

WHO was requested by the District Health Office to • Supported Workshops in cooperation with lead the coordination of 22 organizations initially IOM at the District and Provincial level working in the Health Sector. Weekly sector meetings dedicated to the development of effective and working group meetings were held in support of Emergency Evacuation procedures for Nias specific activities such as malaria prevention, National • 120,595 children immunized between April 21

Immunization Day and vaccination campaigns. All and June 14 in the Measles Vaccination humanitarian actors including the local Government Campaign were encouraged to attend meetings. A master matrix • Maintained the Health Information Database was developed which catalogued each organization by collecting, storing and distributing working in Nias, what projects they were undertaking, information produced by all organizations and for how long. The matrix, distributed to all active • Prepared a bi-lingual Nias Health Newsletter organizations weekly, aided in pinpointing specific that included contributions from the District gaps in emergency health services as well as in Health Office and humanitarian organizations developing mid and long term recovery strategies