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MOUNTAIN VILLAGES IN DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES HIT BY MEASLES OUTBREAK
(March, 2001)
In February of 2001, a terrible measles epidemic broke out in an isolated village in Marilog. It claimed 10 lives, all children, and 23 others were hospitalized. Most of the dead there three and four-year olds who succumbed to complications of pneumonia and diarrhea.
Some of the natives blamed the measles on a curse. Miguel Oppus, a city health officer, explains. "Measles appears in cycles of three years. It is seasonal and cannot be completely eradicated."
TMFI's media director Pio Arce visited this village. He took video of the sick and dying and his footage was later aired on a local TV stations. The images were so horrific that a plan was launched to help TMFI combat the situation. The military was issued to use helicopters to ferry in supplies and medical volunteers. The treatments went on for months and in May a team from Colorado went back up with Pio to help. The efforts saved many children.
TMFI's rapid response to reported public health catastrophe saved lives of kids preyed upon by this terrible disease. Six tribal villages in the mountains of Marilog District, Davao City were affected.
A 45-man medical team from the city health office provided vaccination to children ages 1-7 facing this vicious outbreak. "Although 10 children was reported to have died and 23 were hospitalized, we are still grateful because hundreds of deaths have been avoided through your quick response" said Rosalina Ingag, a mother.
In makeshift huts, the sick often have to wait for hours to receive medical treatment.
TMFI through its Adult Functional Literacy program hopes to intensify teaching healthcare and the need of parents to get early response to their children's illnesses before everything comes to a hopeless situation.
An-An Colandag, a 1-year old recipient of our Supplementary Feeding Project for Malnourished Kids would not have died when struck with the outbreak. She died of complications. Weeks before the rife occurred, her parents took for granted the hard cough and fever she was suffering. They worked digging the fields instead of getting treatment for her. Such apathy to health and wellness is common to tribal folks in remote villages. Death and disease are a natural occurrence. Because of their distance, they don't have access to healthcare. Scarcely they have health visitors and if there is any, the health team still has to negotiate a 15-30 kms. tortuous journey. No ambulances, no doctors on call not even a local clinic or hospital. Most people die from treatable diseases.
Analisa Colandag, mother of An-An had great hopes and dreams for her. She would have wanted her to finish school and help them eke a living in the city. But her dreams was frustrated by the life of poverty, lack of education, healthcare - and opportunity. If you were in their situation, what would you do?
Pio's images included parents waiting with their dying children.
Often, villagers are too intimidated to go to local hospitals setup by groups like TMFI. Unless someone is truly dying, they will refuse to seek help and often by the time a doctor can see a patient it is too late. They will literally sit and do nothing while the sick whither away. What helps tremendously are volunteers who stay and help villages and get to know the people and earn their trust. They then can get the tribal peoples to accept help.
The story of the Colandag's is the story of many in most tribal communities. The need for health workers in the field is enormous. Join us in this battle of saving lives not just of children but of the future of the indigenous peoples. After all, Christianity is best shown in serving others.
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