Continuing to help Samoa

2 February 2010

For Immediate Release

Continuing to help Samoa – It’s time for Trauma Recovery

Whilst the world currently focuses on the disaster and ruin in Haiti, there is still tragedy in our own backyard. Four months on from the tsunami that hit the Southern Coast of Samoa on 29 September 2009, many of the thousands of people affected are still suffering. The calamity that happened that day is still being played out in the minds of the Samoan people on a daily basis.

Samoa is experiencing an epidemic of emotional ills and nursing teams and international grief workers are still under pressure to keep up with the workload. It was reported late last year that many communities have taken to the hills and are fearful of rebuilding in coastal areas.

At the invitation of the Samoan Ministry of Health, a team of New Zealand and international therapists (www.traumarecoveryteam.org.nz) will travel to Samoa on 25 February, on a voluntary basis, for seven days to train local mental health workers and counsellors, and work one-on-one with those requiring help.

The techniques the team employs have been shown to be the most effective solution to treating PTSD in war zones, and following the 9-11 events in the US.

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