Liberia : environmental and health risks for personnel to be deployed to Liberia

At the request of the Swedish Armed Forces (MUST), the Swedish Defence Research Agency, the Division of NBC Defence, has conducted an updated overview of the existence of NBC or environmental health risks which military and civilian personnel, deployed to Liberia, may be exposed to. It has proven difficult to obtain relevant information about the country of Liberia. Therefore, it is important that the information is continously updated. This study supersedes the preliminary study presented in December 2003, and is based both on received information and experiences made during the Reconnaissance trips 1,2 and 3 and also experiences from the SHIRBRIG mission in Liberia during September and November 2003. This study deals with EIHH & PHC (Environmental and Industrial Health Hazards and Public Health Concerns), NBC threats, NBC terrorism, criminality and diseases. The most important conclusions of this study is that the main risks connected with being in Liberia are related to saniation, infectious diseases, diarrhoea, climate (heat/humidity) and crime, phenomena all posing an actual risk unless adequate precausions are taken. Industrial or NBC related health risks will most likely not pose any serious threat to personnel stationed in Liberia. However, it can not be ruled out that such problems can occur in some localities.