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Strengthening Yemen’s health security
24 February 2025 – In December 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) held in a three-day workshop in Aden to strengthen Yemen’s notification and information-sharing capacities for acute public health events in Yemen. Against the backdrop of Yemen’s protracted conflict and fragile health system, the event marked a pivotal step in bolstering the country’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.
"This workshop is a turning point for Yemen's health security,” said Dr Abdullah Dahan the vice minister, at the opening of the workshop.
Implementing the International Health Regulations
The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 provide a legally binding framework to prevent, detect and respond to public health risks that cross borders and threaten populations globally. Effective implementation of IHR requires multisectoral collaboration, robust partnerships and the active participation of government bodies and stakeholders.
Yemen faces substantial obstacles to IHR implementation due to the ongoing conflict. The country’s health infrastructure has been severely damaged, millions have been displaced and recurrent outbreaks of communicable diseases, such as cholera and dengue, continue to strain limited resources.
To address these challenges, WHO has been undertaking activities to enhance IHR capacities in the country, with a focus on verifying signals, monitoring outbreaks of diseases such as measles and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), and facilitating bilateral discussions among IHR national focal points.
A workshop to build capacities
The workshop brought together 35 participants, including IHR national focal points, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Population, and surveillance and points of entry staff. Key stakeholders from other sectors, such as animal health, the environment, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Committee for Atomic Energy, were also represented.
The workshop involved a blend of presentations and interactive sessions, allowing participants to share their experiences and insights.
The programme of the workshop included:
an overview of the IHR 2005, with a focus on early warning and response;
Yemen’s progress in implementing the IHR, including achievements and persistent challenges;
practical sessions on IHR communication and collaboration, including through WHO’s Event Information Site and Disease Outbreak News;
tabletop exercises simulating real-life scenarios, such as a cholera outbreak in an emergency setting, to practice risk assessment and rapid response; and
an introduction to using risk analysis tools, such as an initial risk assessment algorithm and rapid risk assessment frameworks, in various scenarios, including dengue and chemical events.
Drafting Yemen’s first SOP for IHR communication
The workshop culminated in a session in which participants collaborated to develop an IHR coordination and communication mechanism tailored to Yemen’s specific needs. This included defining the roles and responsibilities of IHR national focal points, technical teams and other stakeholders, and outlining protocols to enhance the efficiency of the information flow.
A key outcome was the drafting of Yemen’s first standard operating procedure (SOP) for IHR communication, a critical document for strengthening Yemen’s health security.
Ongoing commitment and collaboration
With the new SOP in place, Yemen is now better equipped to address public health risks and respond to emergencies effectively. WHO remains committed to supporting Yemen in overcoming systemic barriers to IHR implementation.
Future efforts will focus on further capacity-building, institutionalizing multisectoral frameworks and ensuring the country is prepared to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies, while minimizing disruptions to international trade and travel.
A call to action: Join WHO in strengthening health security
This workshop was not just a milestone for Yemen but was also a testament to the power of collaboration in protecting global health. WHO calls upon governments, partners and stakeholders to join us in this mission and ensure that no outbreak goes unnoticed or unaddressed. Together, we can build a safer, healthier future for all.
WHO calls for emergency health funding to save millions of lives in Yemen
16 January 2025, Sana’a, Yemen – As part of WHO’s Health Emergency Appeal for 2025, the WHO country office in Yemen is appealing for US$ 57.8 million to reach 10.5 million people with life-saving emergency health assistance in 2025.
“Every year of this prolonged crisis, human vulnerabilities increase, and more families, women and children are exposed to diseases that can be prevented through access to basic services,” says Dr Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Yemen. “Urgent support is needed to enable the overstretched health system to respond to this devastating health emergency, in which 19.6 million people struggle to access the most basic health services and hundreds of facilities are at risk of closure.”
In 2024, Yemen reported over 250 000 suspected cholera cases and 861 associated deaths, the highest burden of cholera globally. The situation is compounded by recurrent outbreaks of other diseases, including measles, dengue fever and polio. Additionally, it is estimated that over 609 000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Moreover, the impact of climate change is becoming increasingly severe in the country, with annual events threatening many lives; floods in 2024 affected more than 1.3 million people, resulting in 427 deaths and injuries, and damaging infrastructure such as the electricity supply and health facilities, as well as stocks of medicines, supplies and equipment, in multiple governorates.
Compounding this situation are the escalating regional hostilities that have triggered retaliatory airstrikes and disrupted critical imports and the operation of health facilities, threatening Yemen’s fragile health system and further straining an overwhelmed humanitarian response.
“The funding received from international donors has enabled WHO and its partners to sustain lifesaving health services in Yemen, addressing critical health priorities and responding to multiple health crises, and has enabled the delivery of medical equipment, supplies, training and other support to hospitals and health facilities that provide a wide range of services,” explains Dr Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo. “Nevertheless, funding for health fell far short of the target for 2024, forcing WHO and many health partners to choose between equally critical services.”
The funds provided to the WHO-led Health Cluster in 2024 represented just 49.5% of the US$ 249.5 million required to provide the needed critical services to the most vulnerable people in the country. This dire situation calls for greater international support and a coordinated response to address the needs of communities grappling with a decade-long conflict.
Yemen requires sustained support from the international community to ensure that key health priorities are addressed. This includes: (1) strengthening disease surveillance, laboratories and rapid response capabilities to promptly identify, treat and control epidemic-prone disease outbreaks, minimizing their public health impact; (2) the procurement and distribution of essential medicines, medical supplies and equipment to improve emergency preparedness and response; (4) building the technical capacity of health care workers in the management of severe cases of communicable diseases, injuries and mass casualties, to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality; (5) prioritizing access to primary health care services by vulnerable groups, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas; and (6) building the capacity of the health authorities and health partners to provide minimum service packages and enhance preparedness for health emergencies through assessing risks and developing contingency plans for the priority hazards.
“Every day the absence of safe services is threatening millions of lives, malnutrition is taking away the future of countless children, and preventable diseases are affecting many families when they should not,” says Dr Ferima Coulibaly-Zerbo. “The people of Yemen must not be left behind. The efforts made by the international community are contributing to a future where inclusive and sustainable development is not a far-fetched hope.”
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About WHO
Since 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been the United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all, so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, direct and coordinate the world’s responses to health emergencies and connect nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
Yemen: empowering health education volunteers to support disease prevention
08 January 2025, Sana’a/Aden, Yemen – Yemen’s decade-long conflict has devastated health care infrastructure. The ability to conduct routine vaccinations, manage chronic diseases and respond to disease outbreaks has been severely compromised. As a result, preventable diseases like cholera, diphtheria, measles and dengue fever have spread rapidly through communities already weakened by poverty and malnutrition.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health recently conducted a series of training sessions to empower health education managers, health care workers and health education volunteers across 16 governorates. Around 365 trainees were equipped with vital information and enhanced understanding of disease outbreaks and the importance of adopting effective prevention measures.
In Yemen’s challenging environment, health education and information can play a transformative role. By raising awareness and sharing accurate information about community-level disease prevention and control communities are empowered to adopt practices that significantly reduce disease transmission. Simple actions like handwashing and safe food consumption make a substantial difference in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
“Empowering individuals with knowledge and enhancing health literacy about common health issues and their symptoms enable vulnerable communities to seek timely medical help, reducing the severity and spread of illnesses. Community education campaigns also promote preventive measures such as safe water practices to prevent water-borne diseases like cholera,” said WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan.
“The trained health care workers and health education volunteers will work within the National Health Education Centre’s strategy to bring vital health education directly to people, covering crucial topics and disseminating information that can be lifesaving.”
Health education fosters a sense of community responsibility and resilience and allows communities to support each other and work together to maintain a healthier environment. By informing communities about available health care services and how to access them, more people receive the care they need, even in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
By focusing on effective communication strategies, utilizing diverse communication tools and fostering functional community networks, volunteers are in a better position to engage with community members and promote positive health behaviours in response to health crises.
Active participation throughout the training enabled participants to expand their knowledge of key awareness raising and community engagement concepts.
“The training provided us with the tools and skills to deliver more effective health services. It also equipped us to respond to health crises in ways that align with societal needs and expectations,” said Mansoura District Health Office Manager Dr Abdul-Hakim Al-Moflahi.
“Effective, rapid and accurate communication mechanisms facilitate the transfer of health information and messages between community volunteers and community members, especially during vaccination campaigns. The broader and more robust these mechanisms are, the more likely it is that health interventions and other activities will succeed.”
Accurate health information helps combat misinformation and disinformation, guiding people towards safe and effective health practices. Integrating health education into community health programmes and leveraging local leaders and volunteers can help rebuild Yemen’s health care system from the ground up.
Ensuring that vulnerable populations have the knowledge and resources to protect their health is crucial to overcoming the current health crisis and building a healthier future for Yemen.
The programme was made possible by contributions from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Bank Group. Collaborative efforts have been crucial in building the capacity of health education programmes, delivering vital health care services to those in need, improving health outcomes and building a more resilient health system in Yemen.
Yemen: the Ministry of Public Health and Population, GAVI, WHO and UNICEF launch an oral cholera vaccination campaign targeting 3.8 million people in 6 governorates
8 December 2024, Aden, Yemen – The Ministry of Public Health and Population, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is launching a mass oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign.
The initiative aims to administer a single dose of OCV to 3.8 million individuals across 6 governorates – Aden, Abyan, Al-Dhale, Lahj, Marib and Taiz – in an effort to mitigate the ongoing cholera outbreak. Yemen is experiencing multiple concurrent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, exacerbated by low vaccination rates, misinformation and weak infrastructure. Between the outbreak of cholera in March 2024 and the end of November 2024, Yemen reported 240 000 suspected cases and 844 associated deaths.
“Every day we witness individuals suffering from diseases that could have been prevented with a simple vaccine. Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated and integrated approach and this campaign is a crucial step in that direction,” said WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan.
“By ensuring access to vaccination services, engaging with communities, preparing for outbreaks and coordinating multisectoral actions, we are striving to create resilient communities and achieve better health outcomes.”
Figure 1. Districts selected for the oral cholera vaccination campaign.
Source: The Ministry of Public Health and Population in Yemen, December 2024.
Disclaimer: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization or UNICEF concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. “Women, girls, and boys in Yemen are facing grave health challenges. Many lives are lost to diseases that can be prevented by vaccines,” said UNICEF representative to Yemen, Peter Hawkins. “Cholera and acute watery diarrhoea are preventable and can be treated, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind,” he added.
To reduce cholera morbidity and mortality rates among vulnerable communities, the campaign has mobilized 3672 vaccination teams, each comprising a vaccinator and a data collector, supported by 808 supervisors. Teams are tasked with vaccinating 200 individuals a day in urban areas, 180 in rural areas, and 150 in hard-to-reach areas. The campaign is set to run from 7 to 12 November 2024, and aims to provide comprehensive vaccination coverage to the targeted population, aged 1 year and above, across 34 districts in Yemen.
To ensure extensive coverage of at-risk populations, the campaign will adopt a door-to-door vaccination strategy, supplemented by fixed sites and outreach teams. All areas have been meticulously mapped and outlined in district-level micro-plans to ensure the efficient deployment of vaccination teams. Training for the 7196 essential health workers involved in the campaign has been completed and they have been provided with all necessary logistics to ensure the initiative is implemented successfully.
Vaccination activities in Yemen face multiple challenges. The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted health care infrastructure and there has been an increase in vaccine hesitancy. Cholera response requires a multisectoral approach. OCV is a vital complementary tool, but investment in water, sanitation and hygiene, health care and community engagement are essential to stop the spread and save lives.
In 2024, the International Cholera Group (ICG), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and with substantial support from WHO, conducted a comprehensive monitoring of epidemiological situations and performed risk analyses using multiple indicators. They approved the use of vaccines from the global stockpile for 34 high-priority districts in southern Yemen.
Gavi has provided robust support for the mass campaign, offering operational funding for the implementation of the OCV campaign across targeted areas.
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WHO Yemen Communications
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UNICEF Yemen
About WHO
Since 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been the United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all, so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, direct and coordinate the world’s responses to health emergencies and connect nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit http://www.unicef.org/yemen
