Emergency public health surveillance in response to food and energy shortages--Armenia, 1992.

Living conditions in Armenia have deteriorated since 1988 as a result of an economic blockade related to a territorial conflict between Armenia and a neighboring country. The effects of this blockade--a drastic reduction in available food, heating fuel, gasoline, electricity, health services, drugs, and vaccines--have placed residents of Armenia at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from nutritional deficiencies, infectious diseases, and hypothermia. To assess and monitor the current health and nutritional status of residents of Armenia, the Armenian National Institute of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and CDC have developed the Emergency Public Health Information Surveillance System (EPHISS). This report summarizes preliminary results for 1992.