MYANMAR: Delivering vital medical care to older people

GENEVA,Switzerland (ReliefWeb), June 12, 2008: HelpAge International is reaching older people affected by Cyclone Nargis with vital medical care, working with local partner the YMCA. Mobile Medical Units have treated 5,000 people from Kyaik Lat township in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Conditions treated include diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, skin disease, eye problems, trauma and other injuries. These health risks are increased by poor sanitation and contaminated water. Some 40% of those seen by medical staff were older people. Older people’s specific health needs Bill Gray, Emergencies Manager at HelpAge International, says: ‘The high proportion of older people being treated by our Mobile Medical Units highlights the particular health challenges they are facing. ‘Older people often lack the energy and mobility to travel long distances in order get the medical care they need. Health conditions associated with old age, such as arthritis and rheumatism, also require specific treatment. For many older people, these Mobile Medical Units are the only source of healthcare available. ‘We are hoping to extend our reach further into the affected areas to reach more older people and other vulnerable groups. We are liaising with the Health Cluster, a UN coordination mechanism for NGOs working on the ground, to ensure that older people’s health needs are recognised in the wider relief effort.’ Psychological trauma Initial assessments from Kyaik Lat township have also highlighted a particular need among older people for psychosocial support to cope with the trauma of losing family members, homes and livelihoods. The inability to conduct traditional burial and mourning processes in current conditions has compounded this. HelpAge International and YMCA volunteers have now delivered relief items including rice and clothing to over 10,000 people in Kyaik Lat and the neighbouring Maubin township. They have also repaired the roofs of two schools currently being used as shelters. In Yangon District, HelpAge Korea and YMCA have been running a homecare programme for over five years. Each older person in the programme has been given a cash transfer of US$136 to buy essential items and materials to rebuild their homes. HelpAge International is supported by its partner, Help the Aged, which has advanced funds for the relief effort. © 2008 ReliefWeb