Chemical Dump in Cote d'Ivoire -- WHO Providing Public Health Support

Chemical Dump in Cote d'Ivoire -- WHO Providing Public Health Support

September 21, 2006

    GENEVA and ABIDJAN, Cote d'Ivoire, Sept. 21
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A World Health Organization
international team is in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, to support
the Ministry of Health in dealing with an environmental
health emergency caused by toxic chemical waste.  A
clinical toxicologist arrived last week to make an initial
evaluation of the situation, particularly with respect to
the severity and extent of ill health caused by the
chemicals. There is now an environmental health specialist
and an emergency operations manager in the field and a
further technical specialist will join the team.  This team
is being supported by additional chemical, food safety,
water and sanitation, and crisis management specialists at
WHO HQ and the WHO Regional Office for Africa. 

    (Logo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )

    The WHO team is assisting the WHO country office in
several tasks, including: 

    -- Coordinating response to the public health
consequences of the 
       crisis
    -- Carrying out an initial risk assessment and
proposing measures to 
       prevent further exposure of the population to the
chemicals, and 
       working with partners to accelerate the removal of
the waste
    -- Working on clear messages for the general public on
prevention of 
       exposure 
    -- Advising on the organization of medical care,
including developing a 
       clinical management protocol, and initiating basic
epidemiological 
       surveillance
    -- Helping identify and deliver much-needed supplies
for the healthcare 
       system.

    WHO has sent personal protection equipment and
toxicological information. In addition WHO is collaborating
with other UN agencies and international teams in Abidjan
that are dealing with this emergency. 

    WHO is in regular contact with hospitals and health
centres to evaluate the burden being placed upon the health
care system by this emergency.  The large number of medical
consultations connected with the chemical waste has
resulted in a doubling of the usual workload and almost all
of the personnel of the hospitals and clinics have been
diverted to receive these patients, such that regular
consultations have all-but-ceased.  This is hampering
people's access to primary and emergency health care.  

    To date the symptoms reported have included nosebleeds,
nausea and vomiting, headaches, skin and eye irritation and
respiratory symptoms. According to physicians on duty
during the first days after the waste was dumped, the most
severely affected patients presented with respiratory
distress, dehydration and intestinal bleeding.  The
symptoms reported are consistent with exposure to the
chemicals known to be in the waste. 

    Many people are also seeking medical advice because
they are anxious about the potential long-term consequences
on their health and on that of their children. 

    The treatment being provided is symptomatic and
supportive.  Due to the massive influx of people consulting
medical facilities, the existing stocks of medicines and
diagnostic materials have been exhausted.  WHO has been
able to replenish some stocks, however, more funds are
needed to purchase additional drugs.  

    This incident has overwhelmed the health system of Cote
d'Ivoire and has shown that the country does not have the
capacity to deal with such an emergency. 

    While over 44,000 people have sought medical care, and
7 deaths have been reported, WHO is not yet able to provide
an accurate assessment of the number of people who have been
made ill by exposure to the waste. One of WHO's priorities
is to put in place an epidemiological surveillance system
to track any uncommon health events.  WHO has provided
computers and other equipment to assist in the
computerization and subsequent analysis of thousands of
case reports. 

    Background: 

    During the night of 19 August, a ship unloaded around
500 tonnes of petrochemical waste into a number of trucks
that then dumped the waste in at least 15 sites around the
city of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (population: 5 million). 
This waste contained a mixture of petroleum distillates,
hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans, phenolic compounds and
sodium hydroxide.  A few days later, thousands of people
started complaining of ill health and seeking medical help.
 Clean-up of the waste has now started but it is anticipated
that this will take about six weeks.

    For more information, please contact:

     Souleymane Kore,  
     WHO Information Officer, Abidjan
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Fadela Chaib, 
     WHO Communications Officer, Geneva
     Mobile: [phone]
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Gregory Hartl, 
     WHO Communications Adviser, Geneva
     Mobile: [phone]
     Tel:    [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

SOURCE  World Health Organization