Summary of preparedness and response actions Summary of preparedness Office in the South Pacific and taken by the WHO in New Guinea: with Coordinating advocacy and sensitization Member States; El Niño Assisting Ministries of Health with preparedness and response planning; public Deploying human resources to facilitate Solomon health risk assessments in Fiji, PNG, Samoa; Islands, , and Western in Vanuatu; Undertaking malnutrition screening and Prepositioning water purifying tablets possible emergency health kits in Suva for deployment to affected countries; water Supporting Ministries of Health with storage efforts in Tonga; Scaling-up preparedness for the upcoming Health cyclone season in coordination with and Nutrition Clusters; resource Assisting Ministries of Health with mobilization. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • WHO PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE WHO PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS IN ASIA EL NIÑO AND HEALTH - ASIA SUMMARY -

As a result of the 1997-1998 El Niño As a result of the 1997-1998 El was hit by conditions the Pacific Islands region population a drought so severe that 50% of Fiji’s and the required government water delivery, with sugarcane harvest was slashed by 50% widespread economic impacts. PACIFIC CYCLONE SEASON PACIFIC CYCLONE conditions are pro Even though drier-than-normal risk of typhoons is anticipated jected, above-normal 2015 -May 2016 Pacific cyclone during the December extend beyond this during an El season and may to thirteen tropical cyclones are Niño year. Eleven usual average of expected to occur compared to a are expected ten to twelve (three to seven of these damage health to reach category 4 or 5) that could water- and infrastructure and lead to increased impact on food vector-borne diseases and further cyclone risk availability and nutrition. The tropical Islands, Wallis & is highly elevated for the Solomon Cook Islands and Futuna, Tokelau, Samoa, northern for Vanuatu, Fiji, French Polynesia; and it is elevated Niue and the southern Cook Islands. - Higher-than-usual precipitation is foreseen during Higher-than-usual precipitation is Extended rainfall the main growing months in 2016. and clinics, and floods may destroy roads, hospitals water and restricting access to healthcare. Damaged to contaminated sanitation infrastructure can lead of water-borne drinking water, and the proliferation diseases such as diarrhoea and other enteric disease outbreaks. These disasters can displace populations, leading to overcrowding and psychosocial impacts. EASTERN PACIFIC pact on nutritional and health status. This will create pact on nutritional and health status. health an additional burden on already constrained of emergency services. declared a state due to water in September 2015 in several regions a dramatic shortages and forest fires that caused diseases. increase in respiratory and cardiovascular Below-average rainfall is expected to endure until Below-average rainfall the Philippines, Papua March 2016 in Indonesia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Niue. If New Guinea (PNG), in the Pacific over the coming no wet season arrives water supplies will not be months, many countries’ season at the end replenished until the following wet drought situation of 2016 or beginning of 2017. The and Vanuatu is heavily affecting Papua New Guinea starting to im where water and food shortages are SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND SOUTH WEST PACIFIC SOUTH-EAST ASIA EL NIÑO OUTLOOK AND SPECIFIC HEALTH CONCERNS AND SPECIFIC HEALTH EL NIÑO OUTLOOK ASIA SUMMARY - January 2016 ASIA SUMMARY El Niño and health and El Niño 22