HHS and Other Federal Partners Join to Help Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Recover from Toxic Spill

September 26, 2006 - After the Ivorian Government appealed for help with the major health effects of a major toxic-waste dumping incident in the country’s capital, Abidjan, U.S. Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire Aubrey Hooks contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for assistance. Experts from the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) arrived in Abidjan on September 19, 2006.

Local residents first complained of an offensive stench in August 2006, and then people began reporting headaches, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Sixteen people are hospitalized and seven people have died from exposure to the waste. It appears that a local contractor may have improperly dumped waste from a ship in at least 14 of Abidjan’s open-air garbage waste sites. The petrochemical waste includes hydrogen sulfide and hydrocarbons, known to be harmful to humans and to the environment.

While international investigations are not yet complete, as of September 25, 2006, more than 10,000 have sought medical care in the weeks since the apparently illegal dumping. HHS/CDC is assisting the Ivorian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene and the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess what the long-term health effects of the dumping might be, and to create proper case definition to facilitate long-term follow-up of victims.

October 2, 2006 Update: Following a request from the Ivorian government in September 2006 for assistance after a spill of toxic waste into garbage waste sites in Abidjan, the CDC deployed experts to assist with assessment and planning. CDC finishes its work today after reporting to Ivorian officials and the U.S. Embassy. They presented the Ivorian government with blood sampling kits from the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) laboratory, a public communications guide, and the CDC Emergency Crisis Guide. Ground water and drinking water remain concerns.

Last revised: August 15, 2007