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1: Lancet. 1990 Jun 9;335(8702):1388-90.Links
Comment in:
Lancet. 1990 Jul 28;336(8709):259.

Drug supply in the aftermath of the 1988 Armenian earthquake.

Autier P, Férir MC, Hairapetien A, Alexanian A, Agoudjian V, Schmets G, Dallemagne G, Leva MN, Pinel J.

Ministry of Health of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia, USSR.

After the 1988 Armenian earthquake, which affected an area with a population of 700,000, international relief operations sent a minimum of 5000 tons of drugs and consumable medical supplies. Because of difficulties with identification and sorting, only 30% of the drugs were immediately usable by the health workers in Armenia. Such quantities posed numerous problems for transportation and storage. Useless and expired agents comprised 11% and 8% of the drugs, respectively. 20% of all the drugs provided by international aid had to be destroyed by the end of 1989.

PMID: 1971672 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]