Penan measles deaths: public health sytem failure?
The deaths of 14 Penan due to measles raises questions, which should have been explored by the media.
Was there a failure in the public health system, which contributed to the deaths? Those familiar with the healthcare system say the standard operating procedures may be there, but there is some concern over what is perceived as the deteriorating quality of healthcare personnel, perhaps due to the employment of less than capable foreign doctors. Apparently the first Penan measles cases were sent to Bintulu Hospital – but were they diagnosed and treated correctly there?
Had the Penan been vaccinated against measles earlier? If not, why not? It is well known that the Penan have a poor nutritional status, and this can make measles deadly, not only directly, but indirectly (as measles has the effect of lowering the immune status). It is interesting to note that a Kenyah longhouse in the vicinity of the Penan was not affected – probably reflective of their better health and socio-economic status and, possibly, because they had been vaccinated.
Health officers are trying to determine if this outbreak is a new or mutated strain of measles. But perhaps the real cause is plain measles, which, in certain social and economic conditions, becomes deadly. That's why there is a fear about a measles outbreak in the earthquake/tsunami-hit regions of Asia, especially where people are not only from the lower income group, but now have a reduced immune status aggravated by crowded conditions in refugee camps.
The total Penan population in the affected area in Sarawak is around 400, and mortality, as announced, was 13 children and 1 adult. If we take it that close to 10 per cent of the population are small children - the dead children were most likely all under 10 - then we are looking at a mortality rate in the region of 25 per cent! And that’s not taking into account how those who have recovered will fare, given their lowered immune status.
The media should also investigate whether the poor nutrition status of the Penan is the result of surrounding oil palm plantations jeopardising their normal food supply source, thus forcing the Penan to reduce their food intake. If so, they should also probe to see if the emergence of these oil palm plantations was facilitated by the development of the Bakun Dam.
Our media tend to be so urban-centric and peninsula focussed. We need more reporting on the nutrition levels of the Penan and other indigenous communities in Sarawak and Sabah and a thorough probe into whether they are adequately protected from easily treatable but potentially deadly diseases.
posted by Media Monitors @ 3:13 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
This incident clearly indicates that the government has either overlooked or did not care less over the plight of a native community in Malaysia.
Previously the plight of the Penans was also highlighted through the efforts of foreign researchers. These effort were deemed as intrusion of internal issues by the authorities.
The Health Ministry should also make an inquiry into this matter since measles are no longer a major threat to developing countries such as Malaysia.
I would like to call upon the relevant authorities as well as interested parties to jointly work and develop the community without destroying their culture, heritage and identity.
How can people by dying of MEASLES in the 21st century? This is ludicrous - it's so easily preventable. The government has failed to educate these people about how modern medicine can protect them (vaccinations can obviously be very frightening for people who have never been introduced to the concept), and failed to offer them that protection.
Becoming assimilated into 'mainstream' society must NOT be a prerequisite for receiving public healthcare, if we are ever to consider ourselves a developed nation. Forcing the Penans and other indigenous groups out of the jungle will not improve their quality of life - look at indigenous communities in developed nations like Australia and the US that suffer high rates of alcoholism and other problems because their own social structures have been destroyed by attempts to assimilate them.
Min. of Health workers should reach out to isolated communities, instead of forcing people to come to them for healthcare.
Measles is known to have complications in some cases, which can be fatal.
I didn't agree that measles is no longer a threat to any country. Even through the vaccination, there's still reported outbreaks.
Measles has not been endemic in the United States since 1997, although limited outbreaks continue to be caused by imported cases, (as well as other countries).
eg from these articles (and many others);
1.Measles Epidemic Attributed to Inadequate Vaccination Coverage --- Campania, Italy, 2002
2.Measles Outbreak in a Boarding School --- Pennsylvania, 2003
3.Brief Report: Imported Measles Case Associated with Nonmedical Vaccine Exemption --- Iowa, March 2004
4.Postexposure Prophylaxis, Isolation, and Quarantine To Control an Import-Associated Measles Outbreak --- Iowa, 2004
Some recommendation from the study was actively done in our country;
1) vaccinating persons exposed to patients in family and school settings; 2) offering measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to all persons who had not been vaccinated or who did not have a history of measles; and 3) temporarily lowering the age of MMR vaccination to 6 months, with subsequent revaccination after 1 year of those children vaccinated at age 6--12 months.
In my opinion, it would be very judgemental and bias to say that "forcing people to come to them for healthcare".Did the commentor had studied on the health setup to say so??
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