What should we do to prevent diseases triggered by floods?

The heavy rains over many days have resulted in floods in many areas across the country. The water level in most areas has receded but some houses are still submerged because of the continuous rainfall. Authorities have warned residents at risk to be aware of measures to protect themselves from diseases that usually accompany floods. Vientiane Times asked some members of the public for their opinions on this matter.

Ms Kham, a resident in Vientiane: When my area was flooded, I saw many children swimming in the flood waters. I know they want to play and have fun, but their parents should know better. It’s not just about their health, they might be bitten by poisonous animals or even drown. The floods are the best opportunity for fishermen to catch fish, and if they want to get a lot of fish, they need to stay in the water all day. Soaking in this water for a long time leaves them at a high risk of being infected by diseases and viruses that accompany floods. There might be chemicals, viruses, and other harmful things in the water and perhaps this is what is causing illnesses among flood victims. I think the public health sector should provide more information on this issue or warn the flood victims to be careful if they need to work in the flood waters. There should be greater awareness in order to protect people from viruses that may be carried by the flood waters.
 
Ms Buahom Buathong, a resident of Xayabouly province: My family was affected by flooding last year. But we were lucky that the water level was not very high and we continued to live in our
house. However, my children fell ill with diarrhoea and rickettsia and there are many people in my village who were infected by other viruses. I am sure they all became ill because we did not clean the water and didn’t know how to protect ourselves from viruses. I know the authorities are working hard but I would like to urge the health sector to advise the public about ways to prevent the spread of diseases and viruses that come with floods. Everyone should ensure the spread of this information and understand how to protect themselves from infections.
 
Ms Talo, a government official in Vientine province: I have heard about many diseases and viruses that usually come with floods and how people might be infected even after the water levels return to normal. The public health sector has paid attention to this issue by distributing vaccines in flood-hit areas. Even though we will get vaccines to prevent diseases, I think it’s not enough to protect us from all the viruses. If possible, we should avoid swimming or getting soaked in water as the flood waters are carriers of germs and viruses.

Ms Soulina, an employee of Xaysettha district in Vientiane: I think it’s quite hard to tackle this issue because the people of
Laos still do not seem to comprehend it. In addition, since our areas have been flooded, I have not seen any relevant authorities visit us and provide information about sanitation. I am worried about the health of our children and elderly people. I would like to ask the relevant authorities to give us tips on coping with the situation and to provide vaccines to protect people from diseases and viruses that come with floods. There are many new diseases and viruses in the air and we should learn how to protect ourselves. We must make sure we have the knowledge to fight the diseases and we should pay attention to taking care of our health. If we are healthy, we will be immune to various diseases.

By Lamphone Pasanthong
(Latest Update August 10, 2022)