Katrina families' health needs are urgent

With safety net systems stretched or completely gone, families affected by Hurricane Katrina "are being pushed further toward the edge," a study says.

The Columbia University and the Children's Health Fund study of 650 hurricane-displaced families in Louisiana found higher rates of mental and physical problems among adults and children, who have moved an average 3.5 times since last August, reports the New York Times.

Many Katrina victims lack much-needed medical and counseling services, the study said and $100 million in block grant funding is urgently needed for those services.

"Children and families who have been displaced by the hurricanes are being pushed further toward the edge," the study concludes.

In response Louisiana health official Erin Brewer told The New York Times, "We're talking about a state that had the lowest access to primary care in the country before the storm."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International