The rapid response team of Shaikh Othman District assembles to locate the house of reported cholera cases. Their coordinated efforts are crucial in preventing further spread of the disease. Photo credit: WHO Yemen / S. Al-Eryani

3 September 2024, Sana’a – The work of rapid response teams (RRTs) involves a delicate balance of science, strategy and human connection.

These specialized groups of health care professionals and emergency responders play a crucial role in managing public health emergencies by swiftly detecting and controlling disease outbreaks.

After receiving alerts of infectious disease cases within communities, RRTs are mobilized to trace infections back to their source. This early intervention is crucial for the identification of initial cases and understanding the spread of diseases and allows for swift action to contain and prevent further spread.

Yemen’s humanitarian health landscape is challenging. Differing risk factors mean health needs vary across governorates and concurrent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, compounded by low vaccination coverage, ongoing conflict, economic instability and limited access to essential services strain an already fragile health infrastructure.

Established with support from WHO and the World Bank during the cholera outbreak in 2017, RRTs are equipped with tablets to report data from field investigations to the Electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System (eIDEWS), ensuring comprehensive coverage across the country. Organized into three levels — central, governorate and district — RRTs ensure effective coordination and timely response in even the most remote areas.

A rapid response team on the way to a house where a suspected cholera case had been reported. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/S Al-Eryani

RRTs excel at swiftly identifying and isolating individuals exposed to infectious diseases, ensuring accurate data collection and analysis and taking proactive measures to prevent outbreaks. Their work involves close collaboration with health authorities, and community engagement to facilitate the implementation of health interventions at the household level.

The ability to work closely with local communities to raise awareness about disease prevention, symptoms and home treatment is central to the success of RRTs, as is the promotion of hygiene practices to reduce the risk of infection. They understand that effective disease control is not just about medical intervention but involves building trust and cooperation. By educating the public and ensuring everyone understands the importance of the measures being implemented, RRTs transform communities into active participants in the fight against disease.

“I work to disseminate accurate health information and foster behavioral change. When I realize my efforts have safeguarded communities where dengue-carrying mosquitoes are spreading or when I encourage parents to vaccinate their children, I feel enormous relief,” says Aref Abdullah, a member of the RRT in Shaikh Othman District.

“The impact is mainly positive, particularly in remote rural areas. But our job becomes more difficult when people listen to those who propagate misinformation. We have to work hard to correct that.”

Aref Abdullah stops to engage with the public, emphasizing that correct health information saves lives. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/S Al-Eryani

The impact of RRTs extends beyond local communities. They play a pivotal role in cross-border disease control.

Yemen is a transit route for many people traveling to countries such as Saudi Arabia and Oman and RRTs’ extensive testing and contact tracing during outbreaks is crucial to prevent the spread of diseases to neighboring countries and protect regional health security.

Funding shortages have reduced the number of RRT members from 5 to 4 per team, resulting in a shortfall in health education members and the adjustment of field visits based on pre-classified risk assessments, resulting in less frequent monitoring and intervention in some areas. This leads to higher instances of illness and death among communities and compromises the disease surveillance system, making it more difficult to monitor, detect and respond to health threats effectively.

Since 2017, WHO with support from the World Bank, has supported Yemen’s RRTs by providing essential resources, training and operational costs. This support enables them to verify, respond to and manage outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera, dengue fever, measles and diphtheria, helping to prevent their spread and save lives.

Currently, RRTs are supported through a complementary approach to funding provided by the Emergency Human Capital Project (EHCP) and the Pandemic Fund’s Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project.

Posters disseminated in residential neighborhoods, provide essential health information to mitigate the spread of cholera. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/S Al-Eryani