ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: An Inter-agency Real Time Evaluation (RTE) of the humanitarian response to the October 8 quake is planned by the end of January or beginning of February 2006. An RTE team will visit Pakistan in February 2006 and look at the role of the UN agencies and NGOs and of clusters at country and headquarter levels.

The results of the RTE will contribute to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Working Group meeting in mid-February. The draft terms of reference have been provided to agency evaluation focal points.

Meanwhile, the on-ground situation in the quake-hit zone is not very encouraging with most of the humanitarian actors restricted to their bases of operations due to security concerns and the unstable road conditions, while the survivors struggle to cope with the harsh Himalayan winter.

According to Consolidated Health Bulletin No. 6 approximately 75 per cent of households require additional protection to get through the winter.

Inadequate shelter and harsh weather contribute to the increasing number of acute respiratory infections that continue to rise and are highest among the diseases reported.

The weekly reporting of bloody and watery diarrhoea cases indicates that the proportion of these diseases is becoming stable and the number of cases has been consistently increasing for the last three weeks.

Six cases of suspected hepatitis were reported last week and their laboratory results were pending. One case of meningitis investigated last week was found to be staphylococcus positive. The results of a suspected case of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) are pending.

Last week, four new cases of measles were found in Garhi Habibullah, while two cases of clinical measles were found in Landain village in Batagram district though vaccination coverage in the area was over 95 per cent.

Mental Health: The Ministry of Health and WHO mobile teams over the last two months treated almost 10,000 people suffering from mental health complaints.

One third of mental health consultations were of patients diagnosed with depression. Another third were diagnosed with either anxiety or acute stress reaction.

Overall, the female to male ratio of patients suffering from mental diseases is roughly equal. Almost 13-20 per cent of the cases were children, except in Balakot and Batagram where the percentages were 28 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

Maternal and Newborn Health: The limited availability of female personnel in established field hospitals continues to be an issue generally.