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ut <strong>the</strong>re were poor road conditions and long distances to <strong>the</strong>se providers.” 151 Children<br />

recognized <strong>the</strong> lack of access to healthcare in <strong>the</strong>ir ideas of rebuilding for a new Haiti, in<br />

which “<strong>the</strong> <strong>children</strong> emphasized <strong>the</strong> need for health centres and hospitals to be better<br />

equipped and have qualified staff to better c<strong>at</strong>er to everyone’s needs. They should also<br />

offer more equitable access, especially for <strong>the</strong> most vulnerable. They discussed how health<br />

facilities should provide p<strong>at</strong>ients with inform<strong>at</strong>ion about malaria and typhoid prevention,<br />

hygiene and sanit<strong>at</strong>ion, about sexual and reproductive health and contraception. They also<br />

suggested a gre<strong>at</strong>er need to engage <strong>the</strong> media in public health campaigns.” 152 The cost of<br />

healthcare was also mentioned with one boy noting, “It is expensive to get sick.” 153<br />

Access to healthcare was mentioned by <strong>children</strong> after <strong>the</strong> floods in Thailand, when many<br />

adults and <strong>children</strong> became sick with influenza, diarrhea and infection due to exposure to<br />

contamin<strong>at</strong>ed flood w<strong>at</strong>er or contamin<strong>at</strong>ed food. 154<br />

The lack of and cost of medicine was also identified as concerns by <strong>children</strong> in <strong>the</strong><br />

Philippines three months after <strong>the</strong> Typhoon:<br />

“More medicines for sick people; <strong>the</strong>re are not enough medicines in <strong>the</strong> health centre and<br />

families cannot afford to buy <strong>the</strong>m from far away.” Here <strong>the</strong>y also pointed out a need for<br />

mosquito nets “We should have mosquito nets to protect us while we are <strong>at</strong> home, so we can<br />

play safely and not worry about getting dengue during <strong>the</strong> day,” 156 a problem also found in<br />

Haiti, leading to vulnerability to malaria. 157<br />

Changes in health care in <strong>the</strong> Philippines following <strong>the</strong> Typhoon were noted by <strong>children</strong>.<br />

They saw <strong>the</strong> st<strong>at</strong>us of healthcare shifting from inadequ<strong>at</strong>e to better but <strong>the</strong>n declining<br />

again by <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> year. Children said th<strong>at</strong> healthcare systems before <strong>the</strong> emergency<br />

were inadequ<strong>at</strong>e, inaccessible because of long distances, with limited staff and outreach.<br />

They said in <strong>the</strong> immedi<strong>at</strong>e afterm<strong>at</strong>h of <strong>the</strong> typhoon, healthcare was present and highly<br />

visible. They saw large numbers of doctors, a lot of medicine and vaccin<strong>at</strong>ion drives and<br />

nutrition assessments: “But now, one year l<strong>at</strong>er, <strong>children</strong> say th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> most basic medical<br />

services are not available or not accessible.” 158 Children also note <strong>the</strong> current shortage of<br />

medicine: “all <strong>children</strong> (all groups, all ages, boys and girls) say th<strong>at</strong> medicine shortages is a<br />

big concern and families cannot even get paracetamol when needed.” 159<br />

“The doctors came to our community only once. There was medicine but <strong>the</strong> supplies are not<br />

enough now.” 160<br />

Problems of stigma and loneliness were cited in <strong>the</strong> Ebola emergency. “Many <strong>children</strong><br />

in <strong>the</strong>ir own words spoke about being unhappy, about feeling lonely, about being<br />

<strong>heart</strong>broken <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> loss of loved ones and about fear,” 161 while a child in Liberia mentioned<br />

experience of stigma:<br />

“I used to go to choir practice every S<strong>at</strong>urday but since I lost my mo<strong>the</strong>r to Ebola, <strong>the</strong>y no longer

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