China sends medical team to aid post-quake Myanmar to reduce the risk of disease spread.
A 50-member Chinese medical team departed for Myanmar on Saturday to support efforts in preventing disease outbreaks after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country in March.
The team was formed in response to a request from Myanmar and is part of China’s broader humanitarian assistance announced on April 10. It consists of 12 personnel from Beijing and 38 medical professionals from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China.
Carrying essential medical supplies and emergency equipment, the team will focus on reducing the risk of disease in areas affected by the earthquake.
Their primary operations will take place in Mandalay, one of the regions most severely impacted, where they will carry out a range of public health tasks including disease risk assessment, epidemiological monitoring, lab testing, disinfection, vector control, water quality inspection, public awareness campaigns, and training for local health workers.
The delegation comprises specialists from both the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chen Lei, the mission leader and deputy director of NDCPA’s emergency response division, stated that the earthquake had significantly damaged health infrastructure, while ongoing heat and heavy rains have worsened outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles, dengue, and malaria.
According to official figures released on Saturday, the earthquake, which struck on March 28, resulted in 3,726 fatalities, 5,105 injuries, and left 129 people missing as of April 18.
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