Sélectionnez votre langue
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.
Media contacts
WHO Yemen Communications
Email:
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
Larval source management campaign protects 4 million Yemenis from mosquito-borne diseases
Some areas require heavy equipment to clear mosquito breeding sites. Photo credit: National Malaria Control Programme02 December 2024, Sana’a, Yemen – In early August, heavy rains caused torrential floods across many regions of Yemen, severely damaging infrastructure and inundating streets and homes.
Poor sanitation has heightened the risk of waterborne diseases. Stagnant water from the floods created breeding sites for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of malaria and dengue fever outbreaks, while reduced access to clean water led people to store available supplies in containers inside their homes, creating additional sites for vector breeding.
Yemen is among 6 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region with areas of high malaria transmission and accounts for the majority of malaria cases in the Arabian Peninsula. The World Malaria Report estimates that more than 21 million people in Yemen are at risk of malaria. Dengue fever, which overlaps with malaria in endemic areas, is also a major public health problem.
Since the beginning of 2024, Yemen has reported 1 051 287 suspected malaria cases and 13 739 suspected cases of dengue fever. Climatic, geographic and socioeconomic factors make the western coastal areas particularly susceptible and recent weather fluctuations, including rains, have contributed to the spread of vector-borne diseases, endangering vulnerable communities.
Supported by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborated with the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population and the National Malaria Control Programme to conduct a larval spraying campaign from 19 to 24 September.
Together with local authorities and community members, 40 teams participated in the campaign, benefiting over 4 million people in the governorates of Al-Mahwit, Amran, Hajja, Hodeidah and Sana’a. Areas that contain mosquito breeding sites, including swamps, ponds, the banks of valleys, open reservoirs and pits, were prioritized for intervention.
An initial survey identified 4664 villages and valleys for possible intervention out of which 1160 areas were confirmed as positive breeding environments. The Hodeidah governorate had the highest concentration, accounting for 48% of all targeted areas.
Management of a mosquito breeding site using an insect growth regulator in Tehama region. Photo credit: National Malaria Control ProgrammeOf the positive mosquito breeding sites, 58% were natural and 42% per cent human-made. The proportion of human-made sites increases annually, often due to the building of water barriers and the draining of valley water for commercial sand extraction.
The campaign also identified mosquito breeding sites in flood-affected areas which were then controlled by permanent removal and drainage or managed through the use of insect growth inhibitors. Permanent breeding sites were subjected to continuous monitoring and sectoral coordination strengthened through community initiatives and collaboration with relevant local authorities.
“Participatory action, involving local communities and various sectors, is crucial in controlling outbreaks. This campaign exemplified successful collaboration, with local authorities and community initiatives playing a key role in the planning and execution, covering a wide geographical area,” said WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan.
“Continued cooperation with local authorities and community members is essential to foster their role in controlling breeding sources and preventing new ones, protecting communities and leaving no one behind.”
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has severely impacted communities across the country, exacerbating humanitarian crises and health challenges. The health care system in Yemen, which has one of the highest disease prevalence rates globally, is overwhelmed, and poverty and harsh living conditions further endanger the health and well-being of millions of people.
Success stories: eIDEWS coordinators and rapid response teams in Yemen
Controlling whooping cough in Amad village, Anss district, Dhamar Governorate
2 December 2024 – In July 2024, an Electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System (eIDEWS) coordinator in Dhamar Governorate noticed an increase in suspected whooping cough cases, with 5 reported in Amad village. An RRT was dispatched to investigate and conducted house-to-house visits. Within a week the team had reported 65 suspected cases, mostly children under 5. Alarmingly, all of those affected were unvaccinated, a result of either parental lack of awareness or vaccine refusal.
The RRT responded by isolating cases to prevent further spread. Treatment and prophylaxis of cases and close contacts was provided, together with community education and awareness-raising, including engagement with local community leaders. The RRT continued monitoring the area for 3 weeks, during which no new cases emerged.
Responding to an acute watery diarrhoea outbreak in Amran and Dhamar governorates
In May 2024, there was a spike in suspected cholera cases in Amran Governorate, with 23 cases reported within 1 week. In July 2024, Dhamar Governorate also experienced a significant increase in suspected cases, particularly in Khabaj village, located in the Mayfa'at Anss district.
The eIDEWS coordinator noticed the alarming trend. RRTs were deployed to both locations to investigate. They confirmed that all cases met the standard cholera definition. Contact tracing and house to-house visits found no new infections. The team distributed medical supplies to affected families, providing treatments and chlorinated water to 6 households in Dhamar and 40 households in Amran.
The RRTs engaged with the local imam and community leaders to promote the importance of hygiene and handwashing, and conducted health awareness sessions, reaching 100 community members in Dhamar and 40 in Amran. The sessions focused on cholera prevention and hygiene practices. After 3 weeks no new cases had been reported.
Preventing and treating acute watery diarrhoea in Abyan Governorate
In June 2024, Muhannaf General Hospital in Lawder district requested support after an alarming increase in its acute watery diarrhoea caseload. The number of cases had reached 767, and there had been 6 deaths.
Access to water in Lawdar district is restricted and the district capital, the city of Lawdar, depends on tankers for drinking water.
An RRT was deployed to help monitor cases, intervene in treatment, engage with medical and nursing staff and organize awareness raising sessions. Training sessions were also provided to health workers who interacted with cases.
Preventive and therapeutic support provided by the team included 45 awareness sessions, held in both the hospital and in households, which reached 224 contacts. The RRT also visited 52 houses, distributing flyers and pamphlets on cholera prevention, and spoke with an additional 98 contacts.
The RRT’s actions led to a decrease in incidence and improvement in the hospital’s monitoring and recording of cases, and helped build the capacity and motivation of hospital staff.
Continued investment in Yemen's health surveillance infrastructure is vital for sustainable recovery and resilience against future health crises.
Learn more about how WHO and the World Bank are strengthening disease surveillance in Yemen
