key: cord-0684644-dd4igb48
authors: Rocha, Ian Christopher N.; Ramos, Kimberly G.; Crispino, Kevin T.
title: Food and Waterborne Disease Outbreaks after a Super Typhoon Hit the Southern Philippines during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Triple Public Health Emergency
date: 2022-03-24
journal: Prehospital and disaster medicine
DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x2200053x
sha: 0b47f40a47ff0f1ddbedd5babf9034506fbac02b
doc_id: 684644
cord_uid: dd4igb48

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a super typhoon struck the southern Philippines, killing hundreds of people, displacing hundreds of thousands of families, and affecting millions of Filipinos. Apart from posing a threat to public health in the country, which is still dealing with the pandemic effects of being the most affected country in the Western Pacific Region, the natural disaster also brought with it another burden, as many provinces reported outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases as a result of contaminated drinking water, damaged water pipes, water supply outages, unsafe food preparation, and poor sanitation. These triple public health emergencies of super typhoon, food and waterborne infections, and COVID-19 can be extremely difficult to manage, especially since hundreds of health care facilities were also damaged by the recent natural disaster, and many health care workers are becoming ill as a result of the appearance of novel COVID-19 variants of concern in the country. Although these challenges can be devastating, Filipinos have a reputation for being resilient in the face of disasters and emergencies.

lockdown. These triple public health emergencies of super typhoon, food and waterborne infections, and COVID-19 can be very challenging since 141 health care facilities have also been damaged by the recent natural disaster and many health care workers are also getting sick because of the appearance of the novel COVID-19 variants of concern in the Philippines, especially the Delta and Omicron variants. 1, 3, 5, 6 Although it may be difficult for several Filipinos, especially during the Christmas season, the Philippine government has immediately responded to the effects of the triple public health crises by providing health care services to the affected individuals, dispatching epidemiology teams to identify what caused the outbreaks, giving temporary shelters for the displaced individuals, supplying safe food and water for the affected families and communities, and educating them on how to prevent and control disease outbreaks, among others. Several nongovernmental organizations and international agencies are also making efforts to help the affected areas.

Establishing resilience has also been highlighted and demonstrated by the government's immediate response and the joint efforts of private organizations, communities, and individuals in assisting those affected by the triple public health emergency. Throughout the Christmas season, many Filipinos also launched donation drives and community pantries as a way of responding to their countrymen's suffering, which seemingly became Christmas gifts to those in need. 7, 8 In Filipino culture, there is a notion called bayanihan, which means communal solidarity and collaboration. Many health care professionals also volunteered to provide medical care to the people injured by the super typhoon and to address the COVID-19 infections and the food and waterborne outbreaks in the afflicted areas, as well as the mental health of the affected population. 2, 6, 8 These public health challenges can only be overcome when the government and private sectors, as well as the communities, collaborate and work together in developing and implementing sustainable solutions and resilient programs to mitigate the consequences of a triple public health emergency. Indeed, resiliency, coupled with bayanihan, is most visible at difficult times. At no other point in modern history has the Philippines faced such an array of both familiar and unfamiliar risks and hazards, interacting in a very connected and rapidly changing environment.

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