PM Briefing Enduring Freedom V2.03

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OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE BRIEFING
Yemen Specific Information 14 November 2002
Prepared by U.S. Army Center for Health Promotio
n and Preventive Medicine [phone]/ DSN 584
-4375/[phone] http//usachppm.apgea.army.m
il
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YEMEN
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Yemen Environmental Issues

• Topography
• Climate

Mostly desert hot and humid along west coast
temperate in western mountains affected by
seasonal monsoon extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh
desert in east
Terrain narrow coastal plain backed by
flat-topped hills and rugged mountains dissect
ed upland desert plains in center slope into the
desert interior lowest point  Arabian Sea 0 m h
ighest point  Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
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Yemen Environmental Issues

• Air
• Contamination from petroleum refineries, cement
  plants, plastics and aluminum products
  facilities, vehicle exhaust, and power generation
  plants
• Food
• Seafood often contaminated with toxic metals.
• Fruits and vegetables sometimes contaminated with
  raw sewage

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Yemen Environmental Issues

• Soil
• Specific information on soil contamination is
  unavailable
  
• Water
• Raw sewage, industrial discharge, agricultural
  run-off
  
• Improper disposal of solid and hazardous waste

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Yemen Environmental Issues

• Greatest short-term environmental health risks
• Fecally contaminated food and water
• Extreme heat
• High altitude
• Airborne dust and sand
• Greatest long-term environmental health risks
• Exposure to heavy metals

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Yemen Diseases of Operational Importance

• High risk country
• Diseases of greatest risk
• Food and waterborne diseases Diarrhea-bacterial,
  Hepatitis A, Typhoid/paratyphoid fever
  
• Vector-borne diseases Malaria, Rift Valley
  fever
  
• Water contact diseases Schistosomiasis
• Sexually transmitted diseases Hepatitis B
• Diseases of potential risk
• Food and water-borne Diarrhea-protozoal
• Vector-borne Dengue fever, Cutaneous
  leishmaniasis
  
• Water contact Leptospirosis
• Sexually transmitted Gonorrhea/chlamydia