Rapid diagnostic kits among key needs in South East Asia:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The provision of rapid diagnostic kits and other supplies and equipment are a priority in the tsunami-affected areas of south-east Asia, amid the new and significant threat posed by vector-borne diseases. So warns the World Health Organization, citing malaria and dengue as examples of diseases that are endemic in most of the affected countries in the region. With the onset of the rainy season, particularly in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, a rise in the incidence of vector-borne disease is expected. But fatalities will be high if cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever are not managed effectively, the regional director of WHO south-east Asia, Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, has warned.