Mandalay City – On January 11, 2023, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Zamboanga City Chapter distributed Doxycycline, a prophylactic agent used to treat leptospirosis, to 500 affected individuals in Barangay Guiwan and Barangay Pasonanca, Zamboanga City.

According to the PRC Operations Center, 30 barangays in Zamboanga City were affected by floods due to shear line-driven heavy rains. Floodwater increases the exposure of communities to leptospirosis and other water-borne diseases. Individuals with open wounds or skin lesions can become infected through direct contact with water, soil, and mud contaminated with infected animal urine. Without immediate and proper treatment, leptospirosis can damage the kidneys and cause liver failure.

The continuous heavy rainfall also displaced 1,516 families in Western Samar, Masbate, Northern Samar, and Misamis Occidental. To assist the community, PRC placed its relief assets, equipment, and volunteers on standby to provide humanitarian assistance intuitively and rapidly to affected areas within the next 24 hours.

As of 10 January, the PRC has provided the following humanitarian aid to communities affected by shear line-induced rains since the Christmas weekend: 219,650 liters of clean and safe water through its water tankers and bladders, psychological first aid to 2,714 adults and children, hygiene education to 1,574 people, hygiene kits to 446 families, jerry cans to 355 families, water search and rescue to 201 individuals, including children, sleeping kits to 360 families, non-standard food ration and bread to 138 families, first aid services to 134 persons, and health education and medicines to 87 people.(Philippine Red Cross)