In the Wake of the Tsunami: Rebuilding an Island Community and Improving Public Health Infrastructure; a Thailand/United States Collaboration

The South Asia Earthquake and Tsunami on 26 December 2004 changed the lives and communities of six provinces in southern Thailand consisting of Phuket, Ranong, Pangna, Krabi, Chumphorn and Trang. There was loss of life of tourists and local residents in addition to serious damage to buildings, village homes and local economies. Thousands of people died and thousands of others were left in extremely difficult circumstances as they lacked the basic needs for survival. Assistance from the Thai Government and private sectors, in addition to financial support from all over the world, came into Thailand, but the aid was focused in devastated areas that had greater impact on economic recovery, leaving communities that sustained less damage, struggling to recover. In reality, individual loss to every household was tremendous, and as village homes were damaged so were their livelihoods with fishing boats and fishing equipment.

The villagers of Koh Libong in the Andaman Sea, were selected as part of an emergency and intermediate intervention to address selected public health improvements: rebuilding of homes, refurbishing of fishing vessels and individual economic aid to families as part of a faculty response of the School of Public Health at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok Thailand and visiting faculty of the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

This project addresses collaborative community needs assessments, strategic planning, fund raising and intervention/rebuilding between the provincial public health district of Trang, and multiple multi-national partners. This session will provide an overview of the on-site assessment and intervention strategies, strategic interventions, evaluation of village outcomes and public health improvements. The three year reconstruction effort has expanded public health and primary care services to the island in a manner not originally envisioned. The continuing issues associated with villager well being and long-term health care service are descriptive markers for public health interventions that have assisted enhanced improvements post-Tsunami.