Romanian Journal of Medical Practice (Mar 2018)
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AND HEALTH EFFECTS CAUSED BY THE FLOODS THAT AFFECTED ROMANIA DURING 2006-2007
Abstract
The heavy rainfall between late 2005 and early 2006 in South Romania caused severe flooding, as to environmental, social and economic consequences. The event was unique in the last 3 decades in Romania, and among the most severe flooding events in the WHO-European region, in the last decade, next to the floods registered in Rusia, Turkey and Great Britain. Large household damages, requiring internal displacement of persons, part of which being sheltered in camps, for up to 17 months occured in 6 counties, 5 of them located along the Danube river and 1 county in the hill-mountain region. Our study aimed to quantify people displacement, camp sheltering and morbidity profile among the sheltered people, during the existence of the camps. We present an observational study, using data collected by the surveillance system that ran in the affected territory, under the management of the National Institute of Public Health. The calculated values of the target indicators showed the following results: people displacement rate of 316 %000 inhabitants, camp sheltering rate of 100 %000 inhabitants; sheltering in tents represented 84%, for 2-25 weeks, of the total 68 weeks. “Communicable diseases” was the diagnosis category registered in each of the 6 counties, representing less than 30% of all the diagnosis categories.The category “injuries” did not exceed 5%, in 5 of the 6 counties, while “psychological trauma” did not exceed 1.2%, in only 3 of the 6 counties. The acute respiratory infections, of upper tract, followed by those of lower tract contributed more than 85% to all communicable disesses. Acute eye inflamations, acute watery diarrhoea, other rushes than measles and pediculosis contributed each less than 5%. Only 2 cases of clinical measles and 1 case of scab were registered. Most of the communicable diseases occured in children and adults. Neither death, nor disease outbreak were registered. Conclusions. The flood event generated internally displaced persons, some of which needed shelter in long term camps. Tents were the preponderant category of shelters. The communicable diseases, injuries and psychological trauma were not prevailing categories among the camp sheltered persons. The acute respiratory infections were preponderant among infections. Neither deaths, nor disease outbreaks occurred for the duration of camps.
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