Children form a vulnerable population at any given point of time and
during man-made disasters they are the worst affected [1,2]. Video
footages related to the recent Chennai floods give a vivid description
of the plight of children. Neonates held above heads of parents in
water, infants and toddlers crying for feeds, and children wading
through dirty waters with drenched clothes were common sightings. Why
should children undergo this suffering for no fault of theirs? The
Tambaram Government hospital was flooded, and newborns and their mothers
were shifted in rubber boats by fire personnel. The absence of robust
transport system for sick children, especially neonates, was glaring
during disasters. However, the occasional but timely airlifting by
choppers serving as in utero transfers needs appreciation.
Several fishing boats plying in the flooded city roads were the only
means of transport. In the absence of these, more children would have
drowned and died. There were stray incidents of drowning of adventurous
adolescents who had ventured out unnecessarily to witness the floods.
The vicious matrix of torrential rains, overflowing
water bodies and clogged drains had contributed to the havoc. Though the
water logging may subside, a second disaster in the form of waterborne
diseases including cholera and leptospirosis is very much possible.
Mosquito proliferation after the rains can culminate in dengue and
Japanese B encephalitis. The overcrowding in relief shelters can be a
risk factor for rapid spread of respiratory tract infections and
exanthematous illness like measles. The burden of fungal skin infections
is likely to increase, and we need to watch out for post traumatic
stress disorders too.
Inappropriate distribution of free breast milk
substitutes following disasters could be more disastrous. Where a
pre-existing tradition of artificial feeding is present, infants may be
more at risk in a crisis situation. Breastfeeding practices need
strengthening even in routine conditions to tackle a disaster rather
than intervention after the disaster [3]. Physicians should be well
versed in managing near drowning and hypothermia. Children should be
encouraged to learn swimming which can be life saving during floods.
Disaster management plans should not be just on paper, but in practice.
The transition from emergency health response to strengthening local
health systems should be adequately addressed [4]. National and
international relief work and rehabilitation should have special focus
on children and bridge the gaps on their path to normalcy. Let us
prevent disasters and safeguard our children for they are the future.
1. Redmond AD. Natural disasters. BMJ.
2005;330:1259-61.
2. Adhisivam B, Venkatesh C. The Peshawar peril.
Indian Pediatr. 2015;52:258-9.
3. Adhisivam B, Srinivasan S, Soudarssanane MB,
Deepak Amalnath S, NirmalKumar A. Feeding of infants and young children
in tsunami affected villages in Pondicherry. Indian Pediatr.
2006;43:724-7.
4. Leaning J, Guha-Sapir D. Natural disasters, armed conflict, and
public health. N Engl J Med. 2013;369:1836-42.