Public Health Agency/Health Canada Relief Effort Response, Including Emergency Stockpile Offer, for the Crisis in Southeast Asia

Last updated 2 p.m. Jan. 14

Updated January 14th:

Additional supplies from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Emergency Stockpile System have been sent to Trenton, Ontario, for shipment to Malaysia.We expect this shipment to depart on January 14, 2005. It includes 40 generators, as well as 52 water reservoirs and associated equipment.

An additional shipment, which is expected to depart for Malaysia on January 15, will include antibiotics and painkillers from the NESS.

Colin Harwood, Director of the Office of Emergency Response, is shown with shipment of drugs destined for the tsunami stricken area.

Last updated 4 p.m. Jan. 2

In an effort to be as responsive as possible to the devastating disaster in Southeast Asia, Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada continue to offer support and expertise in dealing with the very serious public health implications of this disaster.

National Emergency Stockpile System Offer

The Public Health Agency of Canada is making available a portion of the National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS) to be deployed in the most affected areas to alleviate human suffering.

The total NESS non-medical supplies offered by PHAC includes more than 64 collapsible water bladders each with a capacity of 6,000 litres, 3000 jerry can-type water containers, about 1 million water disinfection tablets, each capable of purifying 1 litre of water, 40 electrical generators, 20,000 blankets, and 15 mobile feeding units with supplies and equipment to feed 200-300 people per hour (if servers and food are available).

The first shipment from this stockpile has left Ottawa for Trenton for loading on a Department of National Defence transport airplane for departure Sunday. It includes 5,040 blankets, 600 flashlights, 1400 D-size batteries, and 3,000 garbage bags.

Plans are for future shipments to be airlifted at the rate of one flight a week until further notice.

PHAC has also offered to send significant quantities of antibiotics, analgesics
and other controlled drugs to treat the injured and ill.

PHAC has also written the World Health Organization and offered to send on short notice: team leaders, communicable disease epidemiologists, laboratory experts and technicians, logisticians, data managers and risk communication experts.

The offer on medical and non-medical supplies represents a sizeable portion of the national emergency stockpile (NESS), but PHAC retains robust stockpiles in locations across the country should need arise in Canada.

It is possible to replenish the stockpile within weeks. A decision on when the stockpile will be replenished will be taken as warranted.