Crisis Alert: We are responding to Hurricane Helene

The Philippines

Our Work in Country

For more than 20 years, Americares has been at work in the Philippines. Following Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst storms of the century to hit the country, Americares expanded its emergency programs in a commitment to strengthen health care for people in need. An in-country office and warehouse were established and a team assembled to guide the recovery process and build longer term, sustainable community health programs. One of the first areas of concern was health care access in many communities where the only local health facility had been damaged, thus leaving many vulnerable people without access to medicine and clinical services.

Responding to Super Typhoon Rai (Odette)

Health Snapshot

The Philippines, a nation of more than 7,000 islands, is ranked among the world’s most disaster-prone countries due to its location on the typhoon belt and the Pacific earthquake rim – known as the “Ring of Fire”. An average of 20 typhoons per year and 21 active volcanoes, along with mudslides, flooding and earthquakes often cause heavy damage, especially to health facilities and other infrastructure, resulting in many injuries and fatalities due to the inaccessibility of vulnerable communities on many of the islands. And when disaster strikes, our in country team responds. In the last year, the team has mobilized immediately to help survivors of multiple emergencies.

Emergency Response Activity

Our Philippines Team is responding, following the devastation of Super Typhoon Goni, the most powerful storm of 2020 that struck on November 1.

Other 2020 and 2019 Disaster Responses

Our Philippines team responded to the eruption of the Taal Volcano in Talisay, Philippines, which began spewing ash on January 12, 2020. Tens of thousands were forced to flee as a major eruption threatens and the team is providing support and supplies for those displaced.

Other responses in 2019 included a major Dengue Outbreak. Over 200,000 cases have been reported and the number of deaths reported is nearly 1,000 with the most affected age group from 5-9. The Philippines team has been coordinating response efforts with the government and department of health. The response has focused primarily on prevention efforts in the face of a mosquito borne disease.

In December 2019, Americares responded to Typhoon Kammuri (Tisov), sending a team to support medical missions and provide relief supplies. The storm (equivalent to a Category 4) struck Luzon Province and affected nearly 2 million people.

Previously the Americares Philippines team mounted a relief effort after Super Typhoon Mangkhut (known as Ompong locally) which struck the Philippines with 180 mph winds as the most powerful storm of the season. The team provided emergency medical aid and humanitarian supplies in Northern Luzon.

In addition to emergency aid in other storms last year, Americares responded to the Mayon Volcano activity where 75,000 were evacuated and some sought shelter in nearly 50 evacuation centers.

And while emergency response operations go forward, our team continues our disaster preparedness project in Leyte Province as we work to help health facilities be ready for disasters.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Our Philippines team is supporting screening and testing for the virus at health facilities. It builds on a robust program of preparedness and prevention that has been carried out in many communities and local health centers.

Disaster Preparedness After Typhoon Yolanda

Following the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda, Americares established a team in the Philippines to help in the recovery and to build back better including robust disaster readiness. The current response to Typhoons Rolly and Vamco reflects that preparedness work. Watch the video of a nurse in the Philippines who survives a major Typhoon and helps save her neighbors. She knows first hand why disaster readiness is critical for communities. Photo of the destruction from Typhoon Rolly.

AmeriCares has restored 84 health care facilities since Haiyan re-establishing health care access for nearly 2 million patients.

The organization also has a disaster risk reduction program in the Philippines to help health care providers prepare in advance for emergencies.

Americares works with Sovereign Order of Malta in the Philippines to provide access to medicine and medical supplies for over 150 hospitals, clinics, orphanages and other institutions.

Community Health

The emergence of mental health issues in the aftermath of disaster has led Americares to develop a targeted program to improve access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services (MHPSS) in three municipalities of northern Cebu. The program trains health workers in identifying general mental health issues and local health providers (Barangay Health Workers) on psychosocial interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders.

Overall, the project will strengthen local capacities, advocate for inclusion of mental health in local and regional government priorities, and directly support those living with mental illness through access to medicine and trained health workers. In total, this project will reach 9% of those living in the target municipalities (12,500) and train at least 571 community health workers. Through stronger MHPSS centers in each municipality, trained health workers will be able to provide direct psychosocial support and more quickly identify mental illness for referral and reduce the overall burden from mental illness – leading to stronger, healthier and more productive communities.

Take a closer look at our emergency programs after Typhoon Haiyan

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