Venezuela's Healthcare System Under Pressure After Earthquakes

World Health Organization (WHO) Director of Health Emergency Situations Ciro Ugarte stated that healthcare services in Venezuela are under serious pressure and facilities are working beyond their capacity. Ugarte mentioned that they have a clearer picture of how the recent earthquakes have affected the healthcare system in Venezuela, and that PAHO/WHO has directly evaluated 8 facilities, all of which require urgent support. Three of these facilities reported structural damage, and one requires critical and immediate intervention. PAHO delivered 6.2 tons of medical and emergency supplies, including materials that were pre-positioned and distributed within the first 72 hours of the emergency. Ugarte noted that the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and pertussis, as well as vector-borne and water-borne diseases, is increasing, particularly for people living in shelters. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 occurred in Venezuela on June 24, 39 seconds apart. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimated the direct physical damage caused by the earthquakes to be around $6.7 billion.