SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 29 (UPI) — North Korea has requested humanitarian assistance after a flu outbreak killed four people and affected tens of thousands this winter, a Red Cross report showed Friday.
North Korea’s health ministry this month informed the World Health Organization that there have been 81,640 confirmed H1N1 flu cases in the country between Dec. 1 last year and Jan. 16.
Three children and an adult have died after contracting the virus.
Among 126,574 suspected cases, nearly 53 percent were among adults over 17 years of age, 24.5 percent were children under 7 years of age and 23 percent were children aged between 8 and 16.
According to the report, the flu outbreak has spread throughout the country with 29 percent of cases concentrated in the capital city of Pyongyang.
To deal with the outbreak, North Korea is currently focusing on reducing mortality, vaccinating high-risk groups and expanding awareness campaigns.
It is also considering school closures and social distancing to prevent further spread of the virus, the report says.
Pyongyang also asked the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund to provide educational support and preventive activities.
On Wednesday, Pyongyang officials briefed the International Federation of the Red Cross along with the WHO and other U.N. agencies on the developing situation.
The IFRC and the Red Cross Society in North Korea on Thursday discussed how to contain and treat the virus, especially in Pyongyang where the RCS currently does not have community activities for disease prevention.
The WHO has so far dispatched 35,000 tablets to frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable groups.
The health bodies will determine whether North Korea will require support from the IFRC Disaster Relief Emergency Fund.
