Post-tsunami care advice made available online

The Cochrane Collaboration is helping those caring for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami with online evidence-based clinical and policy advice made easily accessible for affected countries.

The documents, called "Evidence Aid", are aimed at health professionals caring for victims of the disaster, and have been placed in the Cochrane library. They cover subjects such as post-traumatic stress disorder, cholera and diarrhoea, how to rebuild health infrastructure within the disaster areas, and other topics identified by the organisation as relevant to the areas.

The site, at www.cochrane.org/docs/tsunamiresponse, will be made available on a ‘one-click’ basis for anybody in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and all other countries that suffered the disaster until October 2005.

Evidence summaries and links to full published advice can be viewed, and the site is being continuously updated with new information as it becomes available.

The organisation hopes that the information will be able to help give care planning and advice to agencies and individuals clearing up after the disaster.

The Cochrane Collaboration is accepting donations in order to help speed up the publication of medical articles for use in the areas affected by the tsunami. For more information, contact the secretariat on secretariat@cochrane.org.