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Race to prevent diseases in Myanmar cyclone zone

  • 12/05/2008
  • WHO

Preventing a disease disaster in Myanmar is now a "race against time," as many impoverished victims still await help a week after the brutal cyclone, experts warned Saturday. Reports of diarrhoea and skin problems already have surfaced, and health officials fear waterborne illnesses will emerge because of a lack of clean water, along with highly contagious diseases such as measles. Children, especially those orphaned by the storm, face some of the greatest risks.