Nearly a month has passed since Hurricane Otis shook the air across Mexico’s Guerrero state, churned up seawater and toppled trees and homes from the ground. Its residents still face water and food shortages, electricity shortages, and many remain homeless.
This ordeal does not appear to be ending in the near future, as experts and health organizations warn that if authorities do not implement immediate action and prevention plans, the health crisis will severely impact the country.
Doctors warn that in addition to respiratory infections, malnutrition and anemia, there will be a short-term rebound in gastrointestinal illness cases due to exposure to contaminated food and water.
The Autonomous University of Guerrero (UAGro) reports that in the first days after Hurricane Otis, 25% of patients treated by health services developed acute respiratory infections, 20% had hypertension and 8% Acute diarrheal disease, 4% have trauma.
Waste collection should be a priority
In the long term, if the waste problem left behind after Otis’s unexpected arrival on October 25 is not addressed, other types of diseases such as leprosy, Zika, Chinchilla, cholera and leptospira Disease may occur.
Garbage has accumulated in different parts of the state and garbage collection services are not functioning due to damage to roads and highways. The stench of rotting animal carcasses and organic waste blanketed the atmosphere in Acapulco and Coyuca de Benitez, the two regions most affected by the hurricane besides Chilpancingo.
“It already stinks. The priority is to collect it and ask the authorities to do more,” claimed Laura Salvide, who feared an epidemic. Additionally, he complained that there was no water at home.
Otunio of Doctors Without Borders also believes that “if water supply and sanitation facilities are not improved, there is a possibility of epidemics and more typhoid cases. “This will become a big problem. “
Otunho explained that vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever also pose a risk because “Guerrero is a population with a history of dengue fever, and mosquito reproduction will increase and therefore cases will rebound.” According to According to data from the Ministry of Health as of October 28, a total of 1,855 dengue fever cases have been detected in Guerrero state.
Other conditions may seem minor but impact the quality of life of Guerrero residents, such as skin problems such as dermatitis and onychomycosis. “Dust can cause conjunctivitis and skin problems, and this will increase in the coming days,” he added.
Chronic diseases are ignored
Médecins Sans Frontières arrived in Guerrero state to support the health system in Acapulco after Otis caused an emergency in the city of 780,000 inhabitants.
“The health system, where most people used to get their medicines, is gradually recovering, but it is still not fully functional. Doctors are not available or there are not enough staff,” Otunyo explained, so patients with chronic diseases also have serious problems. health problems.
“We have patients with diabetes who have super high blood sugar levels because they have not taken their medications during this period (…) It is important to continue to pay attention to patients who are already on long-term treatment because this can lead to decompensation”, Medical Activity the coordinator said.
Juan Jacir Zarate went to the MSF mobile clinic and said when he went to the local hospital, they told him they were only responding to emergencies and did not have the medicine to treat his condition. “Before Otis, they treated me once a month and gave me medication, but after that who knows when things will get back to normal,” he lamented.
Other chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, kidney problems or HIV, are ignored, which is why activists and organizations campaign to secure treatment. UAGro and HIVVE LIBRE join forces to provide support to Acapulco residents living with HIV or AIDS. “We have established a safe, confidential and professional medical network to provide antiretroviral treatment,” the university reported on its social networks.
Mental health is an important issue that is often overlooked
The experience of living and surviving natural phenomena like Otis leaves an emotional and spiritual impact on residents and visitors who had to evacuate the area. Some have lost family members, some have lost all material possessions. In Acapulco, 274,000 homes and 600 hotels were affected by the hurricane.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the most common mental disorders among children and the elderly following this weather event, and is hardest hit during the dark hours of the morning.
Doctors from both the Ministry of Health and Doctors Without Borders have conducted group therapy to try to address the problem, but “a lot of times not much attention is given because mental health is not considered important,” Orduño said.
“There are patients who are receiving psychiatric treatment for things like depression and anxiety, and they need medication,” he added.
“Mobile brigades provided by the Ministry of Health provide this service, but it has not yet reached many departments. It is worth noting that the impact is there. When people see that the weather is starting to become cloudy or rain is coming, they will feel it again fear, and in this sense it is important to support them,” said the MSF representative.
indirect victims of hurricane otis
Long after life returns to normal, and even after reconstruction efforts are complete, hurricane survivors continue to suffer physical and mental aftereffects that are not reflected in the natural disaster’s initial death and injury tolls.
Although deaths after hurricanes hit land are typically not counted in fatalities, as a systematic review published in 2012 revealed, mortality rates often rise in the months following a hurricane. Environment International.
For example, after Hurricane Katrina, the mortality rate in New Orleans was nearly 50% higher than normal until 10 months after the disaster.
Another example is Category 5 Hurricane Maria in September 2017, which had the worst impact on Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the United States. In these places, the leading causes of excess mortality are heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and sepsis.
Puerto Rico registered leptospirosis cases after Hurricane Maria, with 26 people dying from the water- and soil-borne disease, according to its own records, especially after storms and flooding. This is why some doctors believe that these figures should be included in the indicators of victims of natural phenomena.
“Any weather impact like this has direct consequences, such as people dying as a result of the hurricane, and people who don’t have access or continuity of care…that’s an indirect consequence of the hurricane,” Otunyo said.
What Mexican authorities are doing to address health concerns
The Mexican government said it has implemented a “single centralized coordination” through different government agencies in the health sector to restore public services and serve those affected by Otis.
“In the face of this highly complex situation, the first priority is systematic action based on a common goal: to protect people,” the National Institute of Public Health said in a statement.
The plan includes, first of all, ensuring that those who have lost their homes have access to shelter and that the entire population has access to high-quality, sufficient water.
The next phase is to promote good hygiene conditions, provide food security, carry out activities aimed at preventing infectious diseases and carry out other health promotion activities.
The Mexican government is currently being criticized for its actions in the face of the crisis Ortis left behind in Guerrero, but first and foremost for failing to properly warn the population of the hurricane’s arrival, which had serious consequences for Mexico. The hurricane went away.
Carolina Gómez Vinales, a consultant specializing in public health, told Economy newspaper, “President (Andrés Manuel López Obrador) ) said he did see it was going to be a ‘big cannon’ (impact of the hurricane), but he didn’t do it.” Thinking about anything other than sending a tweet, the federal government should have civil protection protocols and public Hygiene protocols but clearly not being used or applied. “
Shocking images: This is what the tragedy in Acapulco looked like after Otis flew by from space