Iran's Health Ministry Issues New Warning About the Spread of Infectious Diseases in Earthquake-Stricken Areas

The Deputy Minister of Health in Iran has reiterated warnings about the spread of "dangerous infectious diseases" in earthquake-affected areas, cautioning that these diseases could engulf the country. According to Fars News Agency, Ali-Reza Raisi, the Deputy Health Minister, made this statement on Wednesday, May 25, during a meeting of the reconstruction headquarters for the earthquake-affected regions of Kermanshah province. Raisi emphasized that "the health of people in earthquake-affected areas is a very important issue," stating, "Given the upcoming warm season, if any negligence occurs and infectious diseases emerge in the region, other areas of Kermanshah province and even the country will not be immune to these harms." The 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the Iran-Iraq border in Kermanshah province on November 12, 2017, resulted in over 600 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries. In recent months, numerous reports in the media and social networks have highlighted shortages and criticisms from local residents, including the lack of temporary housing and sanitary facilities, as well as the deaths of several children due to cold and flooding in the tents of earthquake survivors. Many representatives from this province and even officials from the Ministry of Health have continuously warned about the increasing problems with the arrival of the warm season, yet these issues remain unresolved. According to ISNA News Agency, Raisi also warned that with the warm season approaching, if "any negligence occurs and infectious diseases emerge in the region, other areas of Kermanshah province and even the country will not be immune to these harms." Raisi explicitly stated that if necessary health measures, such as the collection of "runoff water, debris, sewage, and stray animals," are not taken "as soon as possible," there is a possibility of dangerous diseases becoming epidemic in these areas. He specifically mentioned the potential for the spread of leishmaniasis in these regions, which, along with leaving wounds and psychological effects on children, means that the existing hospitals in the area "do not have the capacity to manage the treatment of a new epidemic at all." The Deputy Health Minister also warned about power outages in earthquake-affected areas during the summer, stating that this could lead to "food poisoning" for residents of these areas. The Kermanshah earthquake caused damage to 10 cities and 1,930 villages, with over 100,000 urban and rural housing units suffering total and partial damage. The number of casualties in Qasr-e Shirin, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Thalas Babajan was higher than in other areas of the province. Tens of thousands of people also became homeless following the earthquake in Kermanshah province. The province has since experienced dozens of smaller aftershocks. In recent months, multiple reports have emerged regarding the unsatisfactory health facilities, especially bathrooms and sanitary services, in the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah province; however, several local officials, including Akbar Sanjabi, the governor of Sarpol-e Zahab, have warned that the warm season will bring severe problems to the region.