Correspondence
Post-earthquake Nepal: lessons from Fukushima Buddha Basnyat and colleagues (December, 2015) 1 emphasise the opportunity for investments in innovative health care in the earthquake-ravaged districts of Nepal and raise concerns about epidemic outbreaks based on the experience of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Yet, the differing climates of Haiti and Nepal deserve attention; contrary to tropical Haiti, Nepal has five climate zones and winters with temperatures dropping below freezing. This presents a similarity to the climate of Fukushima, which was stricken by the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011. Rather than epidemics, winter-related disease might bring the biggest immediate burden to post-disaster Nepal. It should be recognised that nearly 59 000 people are still living in 120 displacement sites in 13 districts of Nepal, and that 85% of these shelters are not suitable for winter.2,3 The beginning of winter will probably bring about problems of hypothermia, pneumonia, influenza, and even tuberculosis. In Fukushima, more than 450 000 people had to be evacuated, but the Japanese Government successfully provided multiple options for transitional shelter including prefabricated temporary housing, private rental apartments, government-owned accommodations, and public housing, all of which provide safety against winter conditions.4 Housing is an immediate need and a prerequisite for any future work on innovative health care. Now is the time for the Government of Nepal to take leadership and channel all non-governmental organisations, stakeholders, and the international community at large to provide suitable housing for displaced people. In doing so, we can address present gaps in post-disaster support and begin to “build back better.”
www.thelancet.com/lancetgh Vol 4 March 2016
We declare no competing interests. Copyright © Uprety et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY.
*Anup Uprety, Claire Leppold, Akihiko Ozaki, Asaka Higuchi, Tetsuya Tanimoto
Published Online February 3, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ S2214-109X(15)00289-2
[email protected] Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal (AU); Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan (CL, AO); Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan (AH); and Jyoban Hospital, Tokiwakai Group, Fukushima, Japan (TT) 1
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Basnyat B, Tabin C, Nutt C, Farmer P. Post-earthquake Nepal: the way forward. Lancet Glob Health 2015; 3: e731–e732. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Humanitarian bulletin: Nepal earthquake. http://reliefweb.int/sites/ reliefweb.int/files/resources/NepalEarthquake HumanitarianBulletinNo4%28Sept2015% 29_Final.pdf (accessed Nov 19, 2015). WHO. Nepal ramps up disease surveillance after earthquakes. http://www.searo.who.int/ mediacentre/features/2015/nepal-ramps-updisease-surveillance-after-earthquakes/en/ (accessed Nov 19, 2015). Ranghieri F, Ishiwatari M. Learning from megadisasters. Lessons from the great east Japan earthquake. http://www-wds. worldbank.org/external/default/ WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/07/03/00 0456286_20140703095904/Rendered/PDF/8 90690PUB0Mega00Box385269B00PUBLIC0. pdf (accessed Nov 19, 2015).
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