MANILA, 16 January 2022 — One month ago on 16 December 2021, Typhoon Odette (known internationally as Rai) made landfall several times on different islands in Visayas and Mindanao. It brought torrential rains, violent winds, landslides, and storm surges, and affected over 7.8 million people across 11 regions.
Typhoon Odette brought destruction to homes, properties, and livelihoods at a time when people were already facing the societal and developmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local authorities leading the typhoon response, including those from the health sector, have had to face multiple emergencies with severely strained resources and capacities.
One month after Typhoon Odette struck, the World Health Organization (WHO), responding as part of the UN Humanitarian Country Team (UN HCT), is concerned that essential health services remain disrupted, leaving affected communities vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Damaged health facilities
Health facilities play a critical role in providing communities with essential medical care during all types of disasters.
As of 3 January 2022, there are 220 damaged health facilities in the regions affected by Typhoon Odette, based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC) Situational Reports and Health Situation Updates from regional DOH offices. Around two out of five barangay health stations (41%) and almost one of three hospitals (28%) were damaged.
WHO Emergency Response Teams were deployed in CARAGA Region and Eastern Visayas Region (Region 8) to coordinate with the sub-national units of the Department of Health (DOH) in assessing the status of hospitals and health facilities affected by Typhoon Odette.
WHO recommended to the Provincial Health Offices (PHO) and the CARAGA Center for Health Development (CHD) to set up separate isolation facilities in case of increased incidences of trauma-related injuries and food- and water-borne diseases that may affect allotted beds for COVID-19.
In the first month following Typhoon Odette’s landfall, the majority of the island province did not have electricity, affecting the delivery of urgent medical care.
UN CHT teams had discussions with local authorities on how to prevent water-borne and vector-borne diseases that could easily overwhelm the damaged health facilities. In Dinagat Island, the teams also explored how barangays may be mobilized to do active case finding and to urgently report cases to the barangay health station or rural health unit.
The Siargao District Hospital is the only functional health facility on the island, but some sections of the roof were damaged. Three other hospitals and nine rural health units were heavily damaged and were not functional. © WHO Philippines
The CARAGA Regional Hospital in Surigao City sustained damages in its upper floors but remains operational, with over 200 admitted patients, including suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. © WHO Philippines
(Left) A barangay health station (BHS) in Brgy Panamaon sustained partial damages. This BHS is in Loreto town at the northern tip of Dinagat Island. (Right) Staff from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the UN HCT met with Mayor Simplicia Pedrablanca of Tubajon town in Dinagat Island for the assessment of the humanitarian needs of over 8,000 families affected by Typhoon Odette. © WHO Philippines
Anahawan District Hospital in Southern Leyte was partially damaged and was running on a generator, limiting operational hours to four hours a day. Some sections of the hospital need to be repaired to continue providing services. © WHO Philippines
Strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak control
Affected communities are likely to experience disease outbreaks and acute malnutrition, due to lack of access to clean water and healthy food, in addition to disrupted medical services. There could also be surges of COVID-19 cases due to overcrowding in evacuation centers and low vaccination coverage in the affected areas.
WHO has provided support to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), PHO, and CHD of CARAGA Region and Region 8 in addressing urgent health needs and analysing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amid the Typhoon Odette response.
This includes establishing and strengthening emergency disease surveillance and outbreak control, including acute respiratory infections, fever, diarrhoea, hypertension, skin disease, food and water-borne diseases, and vector-borne diseases.
There was also an urgent need to provide masks to protect health care workers and vulnerable people in communities and evacuation centers, and to provide rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 to screen people in evacuation shelters.
In late December 2021, WHO delivered lifesaving medical supplies to support CARAGA Region CHD and its hardest-hit provinces. This includes over 2 million surgical masks, 1.6 million water purification tablets, 2,600 rapid antigen test kits, multi-purpose tents, body bags, jerry cans, cholera community kits, and an interagency emergency health kit (IEHK) with basic medicines for 10,000 people for three months.
Siargao Island Medical Center, CARAGA Regional Hospital, and three hospitals in Dinagat Island will also receive a total of 100 medical oxygen tanks for refill and 100 pre-filled tanks to augment the hospitals’ capacity to serve patients who would need oxygen therapy.
Region 8 CHD also received 1.3 million water purification tablets, cholera community kits, and around 2,000 rapid antigen test kits.
Continuing health services despite disruption and damage
Despite disruptions after Typhoon Odette, local health authorities are finding ways to continue providing essential health services amid their limited capacity. This includes COVID-19 vaccination rollout, provision of primary healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive health care.
The Surigao del Norte Provincial Health Office ensured that COVID-19 vaccines were properly stored and the vaccination rollout continued. © WHO Philippines
A midwife in Barangay Magallanes, Limasawa, Southern Leyte converted her home as a temporary dispensing site for family planning commodities when Typhoon Odette damaged the health station. © WHO Philippines
Communities in the affected regions need far more support to address the massive damages and disruption caused by Typhoon Odette. The Humanitarian Needs and Priorities Plan (HNP) launched on 24 December 2021 by the UN HCT highlights the key priority actions to save lives and provide immediate, humanitarian assistance and protection to those in the most urgent need.
WHO will continue to support the DOH to coordinate the health sector response as co-lead of the health cluster. WHO is also committed to working with partners to prevent and prepare for outbreaks of epidemic-prone diseases, including COVID-19, and provide technical support to address psychological distress from social disruption and the event’s impact on home and family.