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Plan to help the traumatised
The Government has put together a plan for psychosocial and mental health aimed at people affected by the disaster who may need such services both at this time and in the long-term. WHO has assisted in the preparation of this plan.

While UNFPA is the focal UN agency in the country for psychosocial issues, WHO has a key role in providing technical advice in drafting and executing the overall plan. Two leading WHO mental health experts are working with the Government, UNFPA and other partner agencies to assist in the implementation of the plan. Training for the relevant personnel from health and other sectors has already begun.

Natural disasters take a heavy toll on mental health of those affected.. The most frequent diagnoses include depressive and anxiety disorders, somatization disorders, acute stress disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, and especially when families and loved ones are lost suddenly, or if there is uncertainty as to their whereabouts, grief reactions may be prolonged and take longer to resolve. However, these figures may well be an underestimate given the scale of the tragedy, said WHO spokesperson Roy Wadia.. The challenge is meeting those needs in a setting that traditionally has been poor in mental health resources.

The psychosocial activities that WHO and its partners are working on will cover a range of issues, across various phases. At the outset, it will emphasize the need for social interventions, including the importance of providing a safe and secure environment, meeting the basic needs of survivors, such as food, water and shelter, helping survivors reunite and be in touch with relatives and friends, honouring the dignity of survivors and 'normalizing' life as much as possible for survivors, even amid difficult circumstances.

Another aspect of the plan involves advising health care and humanitarian workers - such as doctors, nurses, midwives, and relief/NGO personnel in general - how to deal with the affected population. This includes being able to identify especially high-risk and vulnerable populations, including, particularly hard-hit women and children (e.g. widows and orphans) and people who have lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods.

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