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World Bank and WHO scaling up readiness and response to COVID-19 in Yemen
Yemen, April 6, 2020 – The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) announced critical support to WHO — providing US$ 26.9 million towards Yemen’s preparedness and response scale-up to COVID-19 under a new World Bank-funded Yemen COVID-19 project.
“Yemen’s health system is already fragile, and an outbreak of COVID-19 would be catastrophic — overwhelming hospitals, health facilities and health care workers,” said Altaf Musani, WHO Representative in Yemen.
Globally and as of the moment, COVID-19 affects 208 countries, resulting in a case load of over 1 133 700, including almost 62 784 deaths. Drastic measures have been taken by these affected countries to contain the spread of the disease, while countries with no cases have rapidly scaled up preparedness and response measures in the eventuality of an imported case.
“Diseases do not respect international borders, and countries like Yemen must remain vigilant in ensuring the reduction of the cross border potential of COVID-19, but also that it is ready to respond if we do end up with cases,” said Altaf Musani, WHO Representative in Yemen.
This new World Bank support for the Yemen COVID-19 project comes at a crucial time as cases continue to increase worldwide.
Countries are cancelling school days, events and mass gatherings, while others have imposed restricted or no entry policies for people coming from COVID-19-affected countries.
All this signals how seriously the world is taking this public health threat, making sure that they too are ready to respond.
Government of Japan and WHO strengthen emergency response to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in Yemen
30 March 2020 – It is the continuous support and contributions of partners like the Government of Japan that allow the World Health Organization (WHO) to serve the people of Yemen in the best way possible.
The generous funding from the Government of Japan ensures that more than 7 million Yemenis will have increased access to essential health care, and at the same time, ensure urgent treatment is given to patients suffering from communicable diseases.
Another priority addressed through these funds is infectious disease prevention and control by building capacity of national staff to prepare for and respond to epidemic-prone diseases through field epidemiology training, making the rapid detection and response to epidemics a reality.
Disease surveillance a priority in Yemen
In countries like Yemen, where health capacity in terms of functionality, availability and health care workforce capacity remains an issue, disease surveillance and early warning systems are a must. Due to the breakdown in basic civic and health infrastructure, Yemen has become home to treatable diseases, which, due to context can turn into serious health threats for a population that has been chronically malnourished for years.
“Thanks to the Government of Japan, WHO can buy life-saving medicine for immediate distribution to treat diphtheria and dengue. WHO will also be able to build the capacity of doctors and nurses, to manage dengue cases, increasing the cure rate,” says Altaf Musani, WHO Representative in Yemen.
Weakened immune systems, make the average Yemeni more susceptible to infectious diseases that are otherwise preventable, through vaccines or other treatments. As the conflicts drags on, exacerbating factors such as damaged water supply infrastructure, inadequate sanitation, low vaccination coverage, a fragile health system and population movement, will be some of the issues that WHO and its partners will continue to address through the lens of health.
The Government of Japan has played a critical role in supporting WHO’s humanitarian response in Yemen, donating more than US$ 11.2 million between 2015 and 2019. These generous contributions from them have enabled WHO to provide much needed life-saving health services.
For more information, please contact:
Inas Hamam
Communications Officer
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Muneerah Al-Mahdli
Communications Officer
WHO, Yemen
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre supports WHO with US$ 10.5 million for malaria prevention and control in Yemen
Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General 5 March 2020 –The World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) have signed a joint cooperation agreement for US$ 10.5 million further bolstering malaria prevention and control efforts across Yemen. The agreement was signed during the recent humanitarian conference in Riyadh, this is the second time the conference convened dignitaries from all over the world to discuss humanitarian response support and the development nexus.
Today, Yemen accounts for 17% of the regional malaria burden. In the war-torn country, a total of 18.2 million people are at risk of malaria. In 2019, Yemen reported almost 203 062 malaria cases in public health facilities; however, the estimated number of malaria cases by WHO is noted at 842 226 cases. The governorates of Al Hudaydah, Hajja, Aden, and Taizz report the highest numbers of cases with incidence rate at 8.5 confirmed cases per 1000.
“As a result of this generous support from KSrelief, WHO will be able to continue the fight against malaria and focus on building response capacities in the areas of clinical case management focused on training health care providers to effectively manage and treat cases, and vector control to stop the spread of the disease in communities”, said Altaf Musani, WHO Representative in Yemen. Preparedness efforts will also be scaled-up — surveillance strengthening and establishing a total of 7 febrile treatment centres in Aden, Lahj, Taizz, Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Shabwa and Hadhramout is in the plan as well as training of 1000 health workers to improve malaria and dengue preparedness and response.
WHO supports patients in Yemen with lifesaving dialysis treatment
3 March 2020 – After 5 years of taking care of patients, Radeah found herself on the other side of the fence, suffering from renal failure. Since her diagnosis three years ago, she has had to quit her work as a nurse. She now comes to hospital not to treat patients, but rather receive treatment for her illness—with dialysis sessions twice weekly.
“I have lost 3 of my friends to renal failure and I don’t want to be next, this is why I am grateful for these sessions. When I was diagnosed with this disease, I knew that I could lose my life. I am always afraid that the dialysis equipment would stop working during my session, because if that ever happened, they would have to insert a catheter from my neck, which is very dangerous and painful,” Radeeah says.
The burden of renal failure is agonizing, with the loom of death hovering over patients experiencing renal failure. “I don’t think anyone knows what it is like to suffer from this. You lose everything. Your body cannot cope, so you lose your job. The pain is so severe that you get depressed, feeling hopeless. When I found out that I had renal failure, it felt like my life was taken from me, these sessions have given me hope,” says Tamer.
Tamer is a 37-year-old pharmacist who used to work days and nights for many private companies, but when he was diagnosed with renal failure, he had to stop working — his body become so frail, he could no long function normally.
The process of going through dialysis treatment requires a lifestyle overhaul for most patients. Their lives now revolve around dialysis sessions they need twice weekly — without which they could die.
Three years ago, Hassan also lost his livelihood after being diagnosed with renal failure. “Before the illness, I was running my own business. I had to stop because of my weekly dialysis sessions that always leave me feeling weak. And although I feel weak, at least I am still alive,” says Hassan.
Since losing his business, Hassan has had to take his 7 children to Raimah, to stay with relatives. The cost of supporting them in the capacity city of Sana’a was too much. “Although it is difficult for me to live in Sana’a alone, especially with my condition, this is the cruelty of my current situation. I rely on donations from family and friends to sustain us and I count on these dialysis sessions to keep me alive”.
Thousands of renal failure patients in Yemen could face a fatal fate, if dialysis treatment is not secured. Their survival depends on unfettered access to uninterrupted treatment.
“I am grateful that these sessions are free of charge. I couldn’t afford them otherwise,” concluded Tamer.
In 2019, WHO, with support from King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Center (KSRelief), United Arab Emirates Aid, and Kuwait, managed to provide dialysis supplies to support 21 dialysis centres by 600 000 dialysis sessions in 13 governorates (Amanat Al Asimah, Aden, Taiz, Sana'a, Sa’adah, Ma’rib, Shabowa, Hadramout, Dhamar, Al Bidha, Ibb, Hudaydah, and Al Mahrah) to cover the urgent need of more than 3500 patients requiring life-saving dialysis sessions to ensure continued treatment.
