Online and Printable Resources for flood victims and disaster relief workers:
- Emergencies safety, including safe chemical clean-up (English & Spanish)
- Water & Sanitation (English & Spanish)
- Cholera Fact Sheet in 5 languages
- Health problems from unsafe water (English & Spanish)
- Building safe toilets (English & Spanish)
- Water purification methods (English & Spanish)
- Preventing mosquito-borne illnesses in 4 languages
- For more language options, see our Resources by Language page
This summer we have seen devastating floods around the world, in record numbers. Nearly 41 million people have been affected by flooding since June, in the Caribbean, Bangladesh, Nigeria, India, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sudan, Niger, Russia and Uganda, among others. The immediate destruction of these floods have already caused the death of thousands of people this summer from injury, drowning and electrocution. And unfortunately, severe threats to people’s health only increase as time goes by. Poor sanitation, lack of access to medication and medical attention, exposure to toxins and other chemicals, and increased risk of mosquito-borne illnesses will all pose serious health issues for people living in flooded areas.
In Houston, Texas, primary health providers are struggling to address the immediate need for food, shelter, clean water, and medical assistance and supplies. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, one network of health providers is sharing Hesperian’s first aid materials to spread useful, accessible information to those who need it most. As the clean-up and reconstruction progress, health concerns will shift from basic survival necessities to prevention and protection from pollution, mosquitoes, and mold. Houston’s metro area contains over a dozen superfund sites that have been flooded. Each of these sites may very easily contaminate large areas with deadly toxins such as carcinogenic dioxins, which are linked to birth defects. Proper clean-up of the superfund sites will need to be a priority in order to prevent long-term harm.
To help assist communities and health workers in affected places, Hesperian is sharing our myriad resources on first aid, cholera, water & sanitation, and health problems caused by unsafe water. These resources are available in English and Spanish online, and many others as downloadable PDFs. To see what information is available in a specific language, visit our Resources By Language page. Please share these important resources widely with your network and those you know living and working in affected areas. If you or someone you know is traveling to a flooded community, consider bringing printouts of Hesperian materials or copies of our books to deliver to people in need. A limited amount of books can be donated by our Gratis Book Program. To learn more about delivering books to flooded communities, contact us directly.
