Emergency: India – cholera outbreak in Orissa State

Date of Emergency: September 2007

Implementing Partners: United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India/Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran  

Church (JELC) with the Christian Hospital, Bissamcuttack and the Christian Hospital, Nowrangpur

Details of the Emergency:  In the conditions created by the recent flooding in Orissa, there has been a cholera outbreak in the southern districts of Koraput, Rayagada and Kalahandi in Orissa state, and more than 130 people have already died of this disease (UNICEF update, September 25^th). Other local groups have reported that more than 250 people have died of cholera in these states (Action Aid, September 10^th), where most of the victims are from indigenous or tribal communities.  In the eight area blocks of Rayagada District, acute diarrhoea has been reported in 65 villages. While reported cases are decreasing in Rayagada district while cholera is still present, Dasamanthpur and Laxmipur Blocks in Koraput district are still in a critical situation.

Purpose of Response:  To provide life-saving community-based health and medical assistance and prevent further spreading of the epidemic through disinfection of water sources and community awareness raising.  

Beneficiary information & location  

The assistance will target 10,200 families in 68 villages of the two worst affected districts of Koraput and Rayagada. These villages are located in remote places and no assistance has yet reached them from  either the government or other agencies. The communities have recently returned to their villages after being displaced to higher land by the recent floods. UELCI assistance will complement the limited assistance that the local government has been able to provide in other cholera-affected areas to date.

The JELC-related Christian Hospitals are both located approximately 100 kilometers from the cholera affected  Kashipur and Kolnara blocks of Rayagada district and 120 kilometers from the Laxmipur and Dasamanthpur block of Koraput district.

Proposed assistance: 

1.      Provision of ORS (Oral Re-hydration Salts) sachets and antibiotics to up to 10,200 families

2.      Disinfection of 350 water sources using halogen tablets and bleaching powder

3.      Organize ten community health camps to raise awareness on cholera and promote good health practices

Methodology: 

Two medical professionals from each of the hospitals together with staff of the JELC and the local government District Coordinator for Water and Sanitation have visited and assessed the situation with the communities in the planned locations of response.

An intensive 2-day orientation will be given to community volunteers with the medical staff, UELCI and JELC staff, and all other personnel on treatment, care and prevention of cholera.

In each of the four blocks, temporary Health Centres will be established as bases for the implementation of assistance, staffed with 17 male and female nurses deployed from the two hospitals (7 staff nurses and 10 auxiliary midwives).   Each centre will also be visited by a doctor (one from each hospital) twice  a week over the two month period (64 visits in 2 months) . Serious cases will be referred to the government hospital in each district.

Each centre will have a hired vehicle and a mobile team which will travel to each village to distribute the medicines to affected people.  Ten para-medical volunteers from the local areas, already trained by other NGOs, will be recruited by UELCI together with the hospitals, and will assist in the distribution of ORS and medicines together with the medical staff and in collaboration also with JELC staff and the village panchayats and community volunteers.

The staff nurses and community volunteers will implement the disinfection of water sources. Community volunteers will also assist in the organisation of the community health camps.

Community Health Service desks of each of the Christian Hospitals will also be involved in the process of implementation, monitoring and reporting.

All procurement will be done by UELCI, as part of a decision-making committee formed of medical staff of the  hospitals together with UELCI staff.

UELCI will ensure proper co-ordination and sharing information between ACT Partners in India – CASA and LWSI and with JELC and the two Christian Hospitals, as well as with relevant government departments at the local, district and, if necessary, state level.

Implementation Period:  Two months

BUDGET

Exchange Rate:  US$ 1 = 39

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office  has approved the use of  US$ 33,317 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful  to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment.