BRAZZAVILLE, 25 April 2008 (IRIN) - Firmine Youla, 46, lives in Moungali, Brazzaville, and like other Congolese who are constantly affected by malaria, keeps close track of her purchases of anti-malarial medicine. “I always keep my prescription orders so that I have an idea of how much I spend each year on treating my children for malaria. It is the main, if not the only, disease that I have to deal with all the time,” the mother of six said. Youla’s children are younger than 15. “There are times when they are all affected by malaria at the same time and I spend up to 75,000 CFA [US$150] per month,” she said. Youla, a widow, works earns 120,000 CFA ($240) per month as a civil servant. “To meet my expenses I am forced to sell doughnuts and maize,” she said. “I live on my own plot, that’s the only advantage that I have.” Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children younger than five in the Congo, with at least 21,000 children in that age group dying each year, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). While expenditure on malaria is a huge burden among middle-income households, it is virtually unaffordable for most of the population (70 percent) who live on less than $1 a day. UNICEF has appealed for at least 20 percent of the national revenue from oil to be ploughed back into children’s health and education. The ROC is the fourth leading producer in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In October 2007, the Congolese government distributed insecticide-treated nets as part of an integrated health campaign that also targeted measles and malnutrition in children younger than five. The campaign was a great success, according to the Minister of Health, Emilienne Raoul, with at least 525,686 of the treated bed nets being distributed. “The insecticide-treated bed net remains the most effective protection against malaria,” Raoul said. They are expected to cut the number of cases by 20 percent in children under five. Vaccination against measles, use of treated nets, vitamin A supplements and systematic de-worming were estimated to save between 7,000 and 8,000 children in the Congo each year.
Towards the end of 2007, the government waived malaria treatment fees for children and pregnant women. This cost the government at least two billion CFA ($4 million) according to an official with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Nicolas Okandzé. Meanwhile, the Congolese government was expected to submit a request for funding to the Global Fund Against Malaria, Tuberculosis and AIDS in a bid to reinforce malaria interventions. “Our country has sought funding from this institution [the Global Fund] since 2004 - the reasons for not approving the requests were varied, including failure to meet eligibility requirements.” Raoul said. In the Congo, the propagation of malaria was blamed on poor hygiene. “There are more cases of malaria in the rural areas because of the stagnant waters [pools, lakes] which are almost everywhere. In the urban and peri-urban zones, the waterways are always blocked, providing a breeding ground for the anopheles mosquito, which is the vector causing malaria,” Jacques Yoka, a health worker in the capital, said. “Climate change may justify the strong presence of malaria in the Congo but lack of environmental protection and poor sanitation are the two leading causes,” Yoka said. lmm/aw/mw |
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Archive for the ‘Medical Aide’ Category
CONGO: Fighting malaria in children
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
EGYPT: Contingency planning for an avian flu pandemic
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
 Photo: Doaa Shaarawy/Save the Children  |
| Specialists raise awareness of bird flu in high-risk areas by disseminating materials on a village-to-village basis |
CAIRO, 18 November 2008 (IRIN) - Egypt, the country hit hardest by avian flu in the Middle East, is working on preventative measures to stop a potential human influenza pandemic.
The government, the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have put together a national contingency plan to boost rapid containment procedures, and build capacity to cope with a pandemic.
A potential human influenza pandemic could come about if the H5N1 bird flu virus mutates to allow human to human transmission.
Training exercises - involving the simulated conditions of a pandemic - are being organised in all 26 governorates. So far training teams have been formed and assigned to the governorates of al-Beheria, Menia, Gharbiya, Munufiya, and Sharqiya.
Muhammad Fawzi, director of a committee at the Centre for Future Studies - a government research institution with representatives from the ministries of defence, military production, health and population, interior affairs, environment, and foreign affairs - worked with governors to create the plan, based on WHO and Egyptian government recommendations.
“The two main concerns should a pandemic occur would be to keep the functions and services of the state running while containing the spread of the pandemic in the most efficient manner. We came up with a series of probable outcomes in case of a pandemic and from there began envisioning solutions with necessary procedural, executive responses from the state and the governors,” Fawzi told IRIN in Cairo.
Critical decisions
Key officials have been designated who would make critical decisions such as when to utilise defence forces to maintain security and order in affected areas, or checkpoints at borders between governorates, or when to block certain public services to reduce the spread of the pandemic, Fawzi said.
John Jabbour, a consultant for emerging diseases at WHO, told IRIN Egypt’s preparations appeared to be on the right track: “We have seen very good progress from the Ministry of Health and governorates. Their plan encompasses a macro and micro dimension at the national and sub-national level: from the top executive level of the state down to the single role of every village doctor and the response team assisting him,” he said.
Simulation exercises
Desk simulation exercises conducted by the Health Ministry and WHO medical teams in Gharbiya (northwest of Cairo) and Munufiya (south of Gharbiya and north of Cairo) were deemed successful by WHO in testing the tracking methods and reporting procedures of hospitals and police stations in the two governorates. The Munufiya and Gharbiya pandemic plans were recommended as models for other governorates.
Zuhar Hallaj, an acting WHO representative, however, is concerned about the extent to which desk simulations are adequate forms of preparation.
“The experiences of Munufiya and Gharbiya are successful by WHO’s standards.” said Hallaj. “However, these are desk exercises carried [out] over the course of a day. No field simulation exercises have been carried out and we need to ensure that governorates which have had no cases of infection are as prepared as the ones that did report infection.”
WHO has repeatedly advised the Health Ministry to carry out field simulation exercises. Initially, the government’s Information and Decision Support Centre advised against these for fear of causing panic among residents.
“Field exercises are difficult to carry out because there is bound to be a misunderstanding or rumour through the media that an actual pandemic has hit the area where the field exercise is occurring,” said Fawzi. “This would cause a huge dilemma for security and order in Egypt.”
 Photo: Martina Fuchs/IRIN  |
| Many Egyptians keep and raise domestic poultry, making it difficult to eradicate bird flu completely, the government says |
Vaccine
Both WHO and the Health Ministry predict that a vaccination for the human to human virus would be available, but in limited quantities.
“The maximum global level of vaccine production is 900 million vaccines. This is certainly not enough for the whole world should a global pandemic hit,” warns Hallaj.
The humanitarian implications are serious. Since vaccine manufacturers would probably pass on only small amounts to developing countries, countries like Egypt would have to give vaccination priority to a select few, according to the pandemic preparedness plan.
“Key persons whose prospective illness would be costly to the functioning of main services and government institutions will be given vaccination priority. The rest of the population would be treated with Tamiflu which would be used as chemoprophylaxis” (preventative medication as oppose to treatment of infection), said Hallaj.
Business continuity plans have also been put in place: “Any disruption in key services could cause Egypt trillions of dollars in losses. We have to ensure that people can still draw money from banks and ATM machines during a pandemic; that food and medical supplies are available, water and electricity are running,” Amr Qandil, a WHO representative at the Ministry of Health, said.
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Date: 30 Dec 2008
GLIDE No. FL-2007-000000-NGA
The International Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.
Summary: CHF 153,189 (USD 138,695 or EUR 99,712) was allocated from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 13 December, 2007 to support the national society in delivering assistance to some thousands of beneficiaries.
During the last quarter of 2007, outbreaks of measles in the northern part of Nigeria claimed about 200 lives in Kaduna State. The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) initially deployed its Health Action Team in the affected areas for sensitization and health education. With support from the Federation, the NRCS complemented the vaccination activities of the government by carrying out social mobilization in the affected communities.
The Red Cross trained its volunteers in mobilization and health education. About 1.5 million beneficiaries were reached with Red Cross messages. The good collaboration between the NRCS, government agencies, corporate organizations and other stakeholders impacted well in the implementation of planned activities. However, the operation was delayed due to administrative and logistics constraints.
The situation
The northern part of Nigeria is a region endemic to diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, polio and measles. Since the beginning of November 2007, cases of measles outbreak were reported in the northern states of Sokoto and Kaduna with the epidemic spreading fast across Kaduna. By the end of the first week in December, the epidemic spread to several local government areas in Kaduna with thousands of cases reported and about 200 deaths. According to Kaduna State health officials, the situation exacerbated because of poor hygiene and sanitation habits of the affected communities coupled with their refusal of routine immunization.
In collaboration with government agencies and other stakeholders, the Kaduna State branch of the Red Cross mobilized its Action Health Teams to carry out sensitization and hygiene education in the affected areas. The Red Cross volunteers were also involved in referring cases to the health facilities. The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) as usual was assigned the lead role of sensitizing and mobilizing population for vaccination. With support from the Federation, the national society mobilized communities and strengthened hygiene education.
The exercise scheduled to be carried out during the month of December 2008 was delayed due to administrative and logistics constraints. However, Red Cross volunteers carried out community mobilization and house-to-house campaign on preventive measures. The national society had earlier trained 500 members of the Mothers’ Club and Health Action Team on mobilization techniques and hygiene education messages. The national society also used radio broadcasts to disseminate the measles messages in local languages to reach wider coverage. About 1.5 million target beneficiaries were reached with the Red Cross messages during the campaign period. The immunization also recorded a high turnout as against the past as more parents allowed their children to be vaccinated.
With technical support from the West coast regional representation of the Federation, the NRCS worked in collaboration with the Government of Kaduna State, local governments, traditional chiefs, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the implementation of its activities. The national society also worked in partnership with the media and corporate organizations.
Zimbabwe: Tough challenges for an aid agency
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Date: 29 Dec 2008
JOHANNESBURG, 29 December 2008 (IRIN) - “There is no food, we have malnutrition, there is cholera, now we are expecting a malaria outbreak,” said an exasperated Amanda Weisbaum, the emergency manager for Save the Children, UK, in Zimbabwe.
As the cholera death toll climbed to 1,564, and its caseload to near the 30,000 mark, Save the Children has found that acute malnutrition in children aged six months to five years has doubled since 2007 in one of the two districts in which it has been working in Zimbabwe.
With the onset of rain, there are mounting concerns of a possible malaria outbreak ravaging immune systems weakened by cholera and malnutrition, “especially among those aged under five”, said Weisbaum.
But reaching out to those who need help in a country where most of the infrastructure has collapsed, and the inflation rate is unofficially in the trillions of percent, is a huge challenge and “extremely frustrating”, she said.
“In terms of access, Zimbabwe, comparatively, is one of the worst areas I have worked in,” said Weisbaum, who has worked in some of the world’s crisis hotspots - Darfur, Chad and Niger. “At least in Darfur, when we ran out of stock we could fly in supplies to the areas we worked in - here we cannot,” she said.
Challenges
Weisbaum listed the challenges an aid agency such as Save the Children, which works in two districts in the Zambezi valley in northeastern Zimbabwe, faces:
1. Communications: “Our day begins with us [the head office in the capital, Harare] trying to get in touch with our offices in the two districts Binga and Nyaminyami. It can at times take us an entire day - the phone lines don’t work. Radio communication is also relatively poor,” said Weisbaum.
2. Foreign exchange: When the office in Harare does get through to district offices, raising foreign exchange to buy and deliver the supplies is a “huge” problem.
Since last month, aid agencies have been allowed to pay their national staff in foreign exchange. The economy unofficially runs on the US dollar. “But we don’t know who decides the exchange rate - the banks don’t function very well and accessing US dollars can be quite problematic,” explained Weisbaum. Petrol costs about 75 US cents per litre, and diesel about $1.20 a litre. “It [the costs] is huge for us, especially when you calculate the distances in trying to reach out to rural communities.”
The aid agency can also spend an entire day trying to find foreign exchange to buy fuel and pay the driver.
3. Food shortages: Feeding staff and beneficiaries in the Cholera Treatment Centres (CTC) set up across the country in response to the cholera outbreak remains a huge challenge. “We provide food packs to our staff going to the field because often they cannot access food.”
The charity even had to raid its own stocks to send food for 22 new cholera admissions and care givers in a CTC over the past few days in Nyaminyami District. “It is the World Food Programme’s job to provide food for those admitted in the centre, but they don’t have food either,” explained Weisbaum. WFP is already rationing food aid in Zimbabwe.
4. Writing reports to raise money, which might not come: “And I think we seem to spend many days just writing reports, attending meetings, trying to compile data to raise money from donors, when we should actually be out there trying to help beneficiaries,” said a frustrated Weisbaum.
The level of donor confidence in Zimbabwe is very low partly because of the uncertain political situation, so funds do not always follow reports and appeals. But the response to the cholera outbreak has been good, according to Weisbaum, so the aid agency hopes to raise money for its operations for the next few months on the back of the cholera outbreak.
All Zimbabwe needs is a bit of money, training “as doctors and teachers have all fled the country”, and some political initiative, and the country would be back on its feet soon, added an optimistic Weisbaum.
jk/cb
[END] A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org
Une sélection d’articles d’IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d’autres articles et analyses d’IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org
This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.
Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d’auteur pour les conditions d’utilisation.
Restoring healthcare to tsunami-affected communities in Sri Lanka
Monday, December 29th, 2008Source: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Date: 26 Dec 2008
By Steve Nettleton
POTTUVIL, Sri Lanka, 26 December 2008 – For the first time since the waves of the tsunami destroyed her home and her family’s livelihood, T. Lafara is celebrating a new addition to her family. She cradles a newborn girl in her arms, as she drifts back and forth in the yard outside her home. This is now her third child – one she’s been waiting years to have, until her family could sort out its living arrangements in the wake of the disaster.
Now, Ms. Lafara has a new house, and the baby arrived in August, soon after the opening of a new hospital with a full-service maternity ward.
“The old clinic in this area did not have much space, and there were only two or three doctors when my first child was born,” said Ms. Lafara. “The new hospital is spacious with more doctors. We have lavatories and it’s clean there.”
Safe deliveries expected to increase
The new UNICEF-built district hospital in the eastern Sri Lankan town of Pottuvil serves a community of 50 thousand families. Most of them were displaced by the tsunami. Before the disaster, the nearest maternity hospital was more than 45 kilometers away, in an area under threat by Sri Lanka’s civil war.
Doctors now expect baby deliveries to jump nearly fivefold, to about 100 births a month.
“Before the tsunami, they didn’t have trust in the health system in this area,” said Dr. Ameenudeen of the Pottuvil District Hospital. “Before, we had only a small hospital without any facilities. After the tsunami, after this hospital was built, more patients are coming, and admissions are up. So we see the changes.”
Constructing smaller clinics
In addition to the district hospital, UNICEF is helping in the construction of smaller community clinics, which provide immunizations, family planning health education and other services.
One such clinic, in Kalmunai South, stands as a sign of renewal on a beachfront still lined with thousands of ruins of homes and shops that were devastated by the tsunami. The clinic gives new and soon-to-be parents convenient care close to their homes.
It’s an effort to ensure that, four years after the tsunami, a new generation of Sri Lankans doesn’t have to suffer from a disaster it never knew.
UN medical supplies arrive in Zimbabwe as cholera deaths top 1,500
Monday, December 29th, 2008Source: United Nations News Service
Date: 27 Dec 2008
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is providing local hospitals in Zimbabwe with critical medical supplies and money to treat pregnant women, amid a collapsing health system and the worst cholera outbreak in the sub-Saharan African country’s history which has now claimed over 1,500 lives.
Over the past week, UNFPA, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, has delivered emergency reproductive health kits, medicine and surgical supplies to the maternity care units of Zimbabwe’s central hospitals – many of which are on the verge of collapse.
“The total consignment can meet the needs of a population of about 900,000 for at least three months,” UNFPA announced in a statement.
The agency has also handed out enough drugs to prevent pregnancy-related complications such as haemorrhaging and eclampsia throughout the country for the next six months, as well as pay incentives to maternity care medics, many of whom have gone without salaries and cannot report to work.
The moves are intended to throw a life-line to maternity units suffering from severe shortages of staff and supplies that have put the lives of thousands of pregnant women at risk.
The Government has declared the cholera outbreak a national emergency, but the healthcare situation remains dire – with many families unable to afford treatment – and may worsen during the current rainy season.
Large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs), ex-farm workers and the poor have lost their livelihoods, leaving them cut off from basic social and healthcare services and dependent on humanitarian aid.
The HIV and AIDS pandemics are compounding the problem. UNFPA said that more than one million Zimbabweans – an estimated 15.6 per cent of the population – are living with those killer diseases. HIV prevention and access to safe delivery, including emergency obstetric care services, are critical to their survival.
During a ceremony to hand over emergency kits at Harare-based Parirenyatwa General Hospital, Zimbabwe’s largest hospital, Gift Malunga, UNFPA’s Assistant Representative there, urged the Government, donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others to urgently support medical staff.
OPT: Egyptian aid convoy enters Gaza
Monday, December 29th, 2008Source: Xinhua News Agency
Date: 26 Dec 2008
CAIRO, Dec 26, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) — A convoy of Egyptian aid offered to the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip entered the costal enclave on Friday, the official MENA news agency reported.
The first batch of the aid, which was provided by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, crossed into Gaza via the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, according to MENA.
After the arrival of this batch of aid, including medical equipment, the remaining relief materials are expected to reach Gaza in the coming week, head of the society Mamdouh Gabr was quoted as saying.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki has pledged that his country is ready to “deliver any aid from any country or organization into Gaza via Egyptian territories.”
Last week, an Egyptian convoy carrying relief materials was blocked from entering Gaza for several days.
Egypt has planned to send about 80 truckloads of food and fuel aid into Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing.
According to reports on Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has decided to open the border crossings with Gaza on Friday morning for delivery of humanitarian aid.
Since November, Israel has tightened the siege of Gaza to pressure Hamas militants into stopping their rocket attacks on the Jewish state.
A six-month truce, brokered by Egypt between Israel and Gaza militant groups, expired on Dec. 19 following failed efforts to resume the truce or extend it for another six months.
Benin: Meningitis DREF Operation No. MDRBJ001 Final Report
Monday, December 29th, 2008Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Date: 29 Dec 2008
The International Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.
Summary: CHF 50,000 (USD 44,000 or EUR 30,000) was allocated from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 21 February, 2008 to support the national society in delivering assistance to some 1.8 million beneficiaries in Benin Republic.
With support from the DREF allocation of the Federation, the Red Cross of Benin mobilized and trained volunteers who were deployed to carry out sensitization and mobilization campaign for vaccination. Working in collaboration with government agencies, local chiefs and local radio stations, the national society reached about 88% of its target beneficiaries with its messages. These messages focused on symptoms, prevention, response measures and importance of vaccination.
The situation
Meningitis outbreaks are registered every year in countries along the meningitis belt in Africa including Benin. Between January and February 2008, a total of 289 cases with 29 deaths were reported in Atacora, Donga, Alibori and Borgou counties. As the epidemic was spreading, the Red Cross of Benin mobilized and deployed its team of volunteers in the affected areas to carry out an assessment of the situation. With support from the Federation, the national society through its trained team of volunteers carried out sensitization and mobilization activities in the affected communities.
The national society organized refresher training for its volunteers and produced Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials for distribution to communities during mobilization exercise. The Red Cross employed participatory approach in sensitizing the target population by organizing discussion sessions and drama play. During these sessions, parents were more enlightened on the symptoms, prevention and response measures. This had a great impact as reflected by the turn out during the vaccination campaign.
The operation also afforded the national society the opportunity to strengthen the capacity of its volunteers and improve the image of the Red Cross of Benin.
With support from the Netherlands Red Cross through the DREF allocation and technical support from the West Coast regional representation in Lagos and the Zone office in Dakar, the Red Cross of Benin worked with the Ministries of Health (MoH) and Family Affairs during the intervention. As the lead agency in social mobilization for vaccination, the Red Cross of Benin worked in close collaboration with local chiefs and government authorities in the affected regions to implement its activities. The national society also worked in partnership with local radio stations to reach target populations.
Consumers Demand Food Safety
Monday, December 29th, 2008Local group helps consumers advocate for food safety.
Challenge
Ensuring safe standards for meat handling is critical to consumer health, but Kosovo has lacked food safety regulations in this area for many years. The problem needed to be brought to the attention of elected officials in an effective way – through an organized campaign by citizens to pressure the government for change.
Initiative
With help from USAID, a local organization called the Kosovo Development Center (KDC) launched this campaign. The goal was to stop risky meat processing techniques by first educating consumers and then lobbying the government for safer meat handling standards. USAID sponsored training for KDC staff on how to teach consumers about the risks associated with unlicensed slaughterhouses and improper meat handling. The staff also learned about mechanisms to halt unlicensed slaughtering and unsafe handling. KDC then developed an advocacy plan that called for educating consumers about the problem and, once they understood the problem, helping consumers call on local government officials to pass stricter safety regulations.
Results
The campaign was successful. Local officials passed a municipal regulation requiring stricter meat handling procedures. But the initiative’s benefits extended beyond guaranteeing safe meat for consumers – citizens actively lobbied the government and realized how they could hold elected officials responsible.
UNFPA responds to the health sector crisis in Zimbabwe
Monday, December 29th, 2008Source: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Date: 23 Dec 2008
HARARE, Zimbabwe— As the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe deepens and its health systems collapse, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has intensified its efforts to aid pregnant women and their families by providing critical supplies to hospitals and support to health personnel.
The crisis, which has worsened in the last few months with the spreading cholera epidemic, is characterized by hyper-inflation, deteriorating infrastructure, food insecurity, diminished access to basic social services, and massive unemployment.
Large numbers of mobile and internally displaced people, ex-farm workers, the poor and the vulnerable have lost their livelihoods and are left with very limited coping options. Lack of access to basic social services, such as safe water and proper sanitation, shelter, health services — including access to reproductive health services and life-saving emergency obstetric care — have left vulnerable populations dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival.
The HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe has worsened the plight of many families. More than a million Zimbabweans are living with HIV, with prevalence estimated at 15.6 per cent. Prevention of HIV and access to clean and safe delivery, including emergency obstetric care services, are critical components of the coordinated humanitarian response in Zimbabwe.
The deteriorating capacity of the health system has recently been significantly worsened by the cholera epidemic, which has affected nine of the country’s ten provinces, with a cumulative number of reported cases since August 2008 of more than 20,000 and over 1,000 reported deaths. In response, the Zimbabwean Government has declared the cholera outbreak a national emergency, but the situation remains dire and may worsen with the current rainy season.
As the cholera epidemic spreads, evidence is mounting of a health system in collapse. Both the availability of health services and the ability of families to pay for care has declined. Though significant support is being mobilized to address the cholera outbreak, some UN officials fear that this approach may leave out most of the vulnerable groups in need of health services.
As part of the humanitarian response to the worsening health sector crisis in Zimbabwe, UNFPA, working through the United Nations-led Health Cluster, has intensified its support to emergency obstetric care services in the hardest hit central hospitals. The support has focused on two critical priority resources: essential supplies for emergency obstetric care and a supplementary allowance to the health workers stationed in these units.
In the last few days, UNFPA, in consultation with the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, delivered emergency reproductive health medicines and surgical supplies to the central hospitals for use in their maternity units. The commodities comprised of Inter-agency Reproductive Health Kits for use in crisis situations. The total consignment can meet the needs of a population of about 900,000 for at least three months. In addition, UNFPA distributed medications to prevent haemorrhage and eclampsia that should fill the national need for the next six months. UNFPA has also started paying incentives to health personnel working in the maternity units at the central hospitals.
The UNFPA support is meant to complement initiatives by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and partners to kick-start operations of central hospitals’ maternity units, which are barely operating due to critical shortages of staff and supplies. These challenges have reduced the capacity of the health system to respond to the needs of the population, putting the lives of thousands of pregnant women and their families at risk.
During a handover ceremony of the emergency reproductive health kits at Parirenyatwa Hospital Ms. Gift Malunga, the UNFPA Assistant Representative, urged the government, donors, NGOs and all other players to urgently respond to the call for supporting human resources in the health sector.
—Reported by Phylis Munyama in Zimbabwe and Shannon Egan in New York