Main hazards and health threats in Azerbaijan

Earthquakes

Azerbaijan is in a seismic zone and earthquakes of different magnitudes happen quite frequently: the latest and most powerful on 25 November 2000. The epicentre was in the Caspian Sea and it measured around 6.5 on the Richter scale in Baku.

Floods

Floods mostly occur along the Kura river during seasonal overflow in spring. A substantial part of central Azerbaijan could be flooded in case of damage to the Mingechevir water reservoir in the west.

Technological hazards

Azerbaijan has large-scale heavy chemical industry, mainly concentrated in the city of Sumgait. Moreover, 443 km of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline run through Azerbaijan. It has the capacity to export 1 million barrels of oil a day and includes two pump stations in Azerbaijan. Another potential technological hazard is the Metsamor nuclear power plant, located in the seismic zone close to the Armenian border.

Epidemiological health threats

Malaria is endemic in 80% of Azerbaijan and WHO estimates that more than 3 million people live in the risk zone. The latest large outbreak peaked in 1996 and resulted in 13 135 cases.

Major bird migration routes pass through Azerbaijan and create a risk of avian influenza outbreaks. In March–April 2006, an outbreak resulted in eight people being infected by the highly pathogenic virus strain H5N1.

People in Azerbaijan aged over 16 are not immune to diphtheria. Routine immunization against diphtheria is conducted for children until 6 years of age. Mass immunization campaign against diphtheria for adults over 55 was conducted in 1995, when the last diphtheria outbreak occurred with a prevalence of 11.5 per 100 000.

Azerbaijan has three natural sources of plague. The last human case was registered in 1967. Epizootics are registered periodically. Sporadic human cases of anthrax and 350–450 cases of human brucellosis are registered annually.