WHO and KSrelief sign US$ 9.5 million agreement to support Yemen’s health system
29 May 2024, Aden, Yemen – Nearly US$ 9.5 million in funding has been secured for critical health projects in Yemen – a pivotal step in strengthening the country’s health system. WHO signed the significant agreement with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) at the opening of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The projects funded under the agreement will target 12.6 million people in Yemen across various governorates. Projects will focus on improving access to safe water, preventing the spread of infectious diseases and enhancing the health system’s capacity to respond to outbreaks. These efforts are expected to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates and enhance the overall resilience of Yemen’s health infrastructure.
The agreement reflects the ongoing commitment by WHO and KSrelief to address Yemen’s pressing health needs. It was signed by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, and His Excellency Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSrelief, in the presence of Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
“This agreement signifies a strong partnership and a shared vision for a healthier future for Yemen,” said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative to Yemen. “The funding from KSrelief will be invaluable in strengthening our efforts in water, sanitation and hygiene services; acute watery diarrhea response; and measles surveillance and response. This funding will make a substantial difference to the lives of those people most in need.”
Mr. Saleh Al-Theebani, Director of KSrelief's Aden branch, appreciated the partnership between KSrelief and WHO aimed at providing life-saving interventions for the Yemeni people. He emphasized that this new funding is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing support to alleviate suffering and ensure access to essential health services across the country
KSrelief has been a steadfast supporter of Yemen for years, providing vital resources and expertise to address the country’s health challenges. Through its cumulative contribution of US$ 320 million to WHO, KSrelief has played a key role in supporting humanitarian and health response operations in Yemen.
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WHO Yemen Communications
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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.
About KSrelief
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) is a humanitarian aid organization established by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. KSrelief is dedicated to coordinating and providing international relief to alleviate suffering and provide essential services to those in need.
Invest, implement and innovate to reduce Yemen’s malaria burden
25 April 2024, Socotra Island and Tehama region, Yemen – Despite persistent efforts to prevent and control malaria in Yemen, about two thirds of the population remain at risk of the disease.
With World Bank support via the Emergency Human Capital Project (EHCP), WHO implements key interventions to deliver a tailored approach to malaria management at country level in line with the burden of disease. This includes capacity-building for malaria focal points and the rollout of indoor residual spraying campaigns for affected communities and those at risk.
WHO supported an indoor residual spraying campaign in the Tehama region, to cover Yemen’s 2310 highest malaria-burden neighbourhoods, in February 2024. The campaign directly protects more than 540 000 people from malaria and dengue, across 86 000 homes sprayed. It also indirectly protects more than 2 million people in targeted and neighbouring districts.
More than 780 spraying workers, 160 team leaders and 93 field supervisors carried out the campaign. This intervention builds on the last spraying campaign conducted by WHO under EHCP in the same region in November and December 2022.
Some areas of the country, such as Socotra Island, have made tremendous progress, and are working towards the goal of having no local malaria transmission. Socotra started working towards malaria elimination in 2000, with no local cases reported since 2005.
In March 2023, WHO conducted a pre-elimination assessment on the island, in line with WHO guidelines to identify any gaps and boost readiness in case malaria is imported from other parts of the country or abroad. This is a particular risk due to the frequency of tropical cyclones affecting Socotra, as well as the impacts of climate change and the humanitarian situation in Yemen and nearby countries.
>Following this assessment, a training of trainers session was conducted, in February 2024, for 20 malaria staff from Hadhramaut, Marib and Socotra governorates. This sought to enhance their skills in surveillance, diagnosis, case management and vector control.
Soon after the training, in Socotra, reports were received of an imported suspected malaria case. The trained staff moved quickly to implement active case detection – based on the protocol learned at the session – including clinical diagnosis, rapid diagnostic testing, and laboratory confirmation. The case tested positive, having recently travelled to Socotra from Hudaydah, a high-burden governorate. The individual was provided a course of treatment and was followed up until fully recovered.
Preliminary results of one such innovation, an assessment of climate-related risks of malaria and other climate-sensitive diseases, are expected to be available in June 2024. This crucial information will contribute to the continuation of evidence-informed action to tackle malaria in Yemen.
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Stopping polio in Yemen, one step at a time
25 April 2024 – As long as a single child is infected with polio, all unvaccinated children are at risk of contracting the disease. In fragile and conflict-affected contexts, such as Yemen, children can be especially vulnerable. From 2021 to 2023, Yemen reported 237 variant poliovirus type 2 cases – from both circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2).
“We didn’t know we were supposed to take [our children] to the hospital to get vaccinated, and I wasn’t aware of the seriousness of these diseases or thinking that any of my children would get sick,” said a mother whose child contracted polio in 2021 and is now paralysed.
One in 4 children in Yemen cannot receive all the recommended vaccinations on the national routine immunization schedule. Indeed, 17% of Yemen’s children are considered zero-dose children – they have received no doses of vaccine. Low vaccination coverage, and increased vaccine hesitancy among parents are among the many factors that contribute to this situation.
Early on 25 February 2024, about 6700 fixed and mobile vaccination teams set out to reach nearly 1.3 million children aged under 5 years with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). Working from health facilities and on the streets of the 12 target governorates, the teams were determined to give children the 2 drops of vaccine needed to protect them from the debilitating disease.
Fig. 1. Geographic distribution of laboratory-confirmed variant poliovirus type 2 cases (2021–2023)
Carrying vaccine coolers, the vaccination teams travelled the roads of the targeted cities, their crumbling alleys a sign of the decade of conflict that has affected Yemen. Some areas were easy to access, but others involved arduous journeys to reach vulnerable children.
On the outskirts of cities, congested camps of internally displaced people reflect the impact of the protracted conflict. Dwellings are made of boards and old rugs, and access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is lacking. Many of the families in the camps once had settled homes; their future is now uncertain.
Mobile vaccination teams find many deprived children as they go door to door, but sometimes the biggest challenge is to convince parents to vaccinate their children. Parents and caregivers are usually positive when teams approach them. But there is increased vaccine hesitancy and refusal among families affected by misinformation coupled with limited health literacy. This has left many children unprotected.
There is no cure for polio; it can only be prevented. The impacts of the conflict and adverse socioeconomic conditions have left many children in Yemen susceptible to the disease.
It is only thanks to parents who wait in long lines at health facilities and vaccination teams who travel long distances to vaccinate children that Yemen’s polio outbreak is not more widespread.
Yemen's Ministry of Public Health and Population carried out the polio immunization activities as part of a national immunization campaign funded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and supported by WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In total, the campaign reached 1.29 million vulnerable children across the 12 governorates. Teams delivered the polio vaccine to the doorstep of every home, shelter and camp in fragile communities to protect children’s health and future. The independent post-campaign monitoring data show that 91% of targeted children were reached during the supplementary immunization activity, with coverage by governorate ranging from 86% to 99%. Refusal was the main reason for children missed during the campaign.
Fig. 2. Immunization coverage rate in targeted governorates (25–28 February 2024)
Multiple doses of polio vaccine offer the best protection to children, especially those living in fragile and conflict-affected settings. The Ministry, WHO and partners will take the lessons learned from this campaign and work with health workers to deliver another vital round of polio vaccine to these same communities in the coming months.
“People saw the deadly impact of diseases with their own eyes, so they would come to get vaccinated”
25 April 2024 – Interview with Dr Mohammed Hajar, Advisor on Immunization to the Ministry of Public Health and Population, and one of the greatest minds behind the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI) in Yemen.
“I only came to this interview because EPI is one of my grandchildren.” These were the very first words uttered by Dr Mohamed Hajar, a man in his late seventies, as he entered the office for the interview.
“In Yemen, from 1970 to 1976, there was only the smallpox vaccine and field teams working to cover the governorates,” he went on. “But in 1977, the national Expanded Immunization Programme was established, and included basic vaccines, namely diphtheria, whooping cough, poliomyelitis, measles, tuberculosis, and tetanus for women. We started in only 3 governorates: Sana’a, Taiz and Hodeidah, because they had adequate roads and electricity.”
Before EPI, vaccinations were only provided through foreign teams such as the Peace Corps, Save the Children, a Norwegian group in Ibb governorate and a Swedish group in Taiz – all of which would provide people with vaccines without the administration of any national programme. But when EPI began, these international initiatives were introduced within its framework, and they were provided with EPI vaccines and associated forms. Immunization focal points under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health and Population then followed up on coverage in each governorate.
Coverage was confined to these 3 governorates until the primary health care and immunization programmes were integrated in 1982. As a result, care units were expanded across Yemen’s governorates. Most units had a vaccination officer and a health worker, which increased immunization coverage. This also helped revitalize the primary health care programme, as demand for immunization was greater than for primary health care services.
Dr Hajar continued to recount the history of EPI: “In 2004, the second dose of the rubella vaccine was approved, while in 2005 the pentavalent vaccine [combined diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae vaccine] was introduced, having a significant impact in mitigating the incidence of these diseases. But one of the most important achievements was in 2009, when Yemen was declared free of the wild poliovirus. There has been no trace of the virus since 2006.”
Integrated efforts continued to strengthen the national EPI with new and improved vaccines, reducing the spread of the targeted viruses in Yemen. Vaccine preservation systems have also been strengthened, with cold chain systems a vital component. About 15 cold rooms, along with many refrigerators and coolers, have been added, and transport mechanisms enhanced at all subnational levels.
Manuals were developed and teams trained to help share knowledge and improve performance. All relevant documents were also provided, including records, children and women’s cards, and templates for daily and monthly reports from the subdistrict level to central level.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, polio immunization was carried out from fixed locations. In 2004, the strategy switched to house-to-house campaigns to ensure full coverage of all children aged under 5 years in all locations, including remote areas. This strategy continued until 2021, when the polio vaccine was confined to fixed sites in many areas in Yemen.
For decades, Yemen has promoted efforts that serve the health and well-being of its people, but the ongoing conflict has reversed all national gains and has paralysed development. Today, Yemen is witnessing the highest levels of health risks anywhere in the world, with a significant increase in the emergence of epidemics such as cholera, measles, diphtheria, dengue and polio. Public health infrastructure and services are limited, safe water sources are scarce, and vaccine hesitancy and refusal have increased.
“Previously, people saw the deadly impact of diseases with their own eyes, so they would come to get vaccinated,” explained Dr Hajar. “People had bitter experiences of smallpox, where those who were not vaccinated were either deformed or died; measles was when a child was either blinded or died, in most cases. When measles cases started, the uptake for vaccination was very high in all centres. People had an awareness of the importance of the vaccine and that it could save lives.”
He went on to share the situation now: “Yesterday I went to one of the fixed immunization sites. The workers were there to provide the vaccine, the vaccine is available, and all the means of recording and follow-up are available, but there are no families who are about to be vaccinated.”
Initially called the Expanded Programme on Immunization, this WHO initiative – which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week – is now known as the Essential Programme on Immunization. For about 47 years, Yemen has worked with WHO, various governments, local councils, international organizations and global initiatives to build its national EPI from nothing.
These partnerships continue to underpin Yemen’s immunization efforts to reach and protect children from vaccine-preventable deadly childhood diseases. And continuing these strong partnerships is the only way that Yemen can recover from the effects of conflict and protect the future of its children.
Strengthening preparedness at Yemen’s points of entry
21 April 2024 – Yemen faces complex challenges made worse by 10 years of conflict. The deteriorating situation is coupled with a fragile health system, a lack of specialized staff, and a rise in health emergencies, some of which emerge from unexpected sources. Transport, travel and trade are linked to economic development but can also pose public health risks, causing diseases to spread across borders.
Points of entry ¬– airports, seaports, ground crossings ¬– pose unique health risks that require specialized capacities distinct from those needed in community and health facility settings. WHO works to enforce the International Health Regulations (IHR) at points of entry and build Yemen’s capacity to prepare for and respond to public health threats from unexpected sources.
Building capacities and pinpointing gaps
In December 2023, the WHO Country Office in Yemen gave a training of trainers workshop on IHR and its core capacities requirements for 14 key personnel from various sectors. These included points of entry staff; health inspectors from multiple airports, seaports and ground crossings; and personnel from national public health authorities.
The training enables participants to conduct national point of entry assessments effectively. The programme used a blended learning approach, combining theoretical sessions with practical field visits, letting participants gain valuable hands-on experience. Moreover, the training ended with a practical tabletop exercise designed to assess and reinforce essential public health functions at points of entry that align with IHR core capacities for prevention, early detection and response.
Standard operating procedures were devised to support the execution of routine activities and the response to international public health emergencies in line with IHR. A national training curriculum, stakeholder analysis, and guidelines on the purpose of IHR for workers at points of entry have also been developed.
The trained team, assisted by national and international experts, conducted national assessments at 10 strategic points of entry: 4 seaports, 3 airports and 3 ground crossings. The findings highlight strong multisectoral commitment and collaboration to fortify health infrastructure and capabilities. Yet they also reveal notable capacity gaps at points of entry premises and in information sharing across various levels.
The assessments set the baseline for a comprehensive capacity-building plan based on immediate and long-term strategies. Pandemic Fund support will be used to address urgent needs, focusing on prioritized capacities in Yemen. It is vital, however, to sustain financial support and continuous capacity-building to maintain preparedness and response capabilities for public health threats at points of entry.
All hands on deck
Use of the capacity-building plan and the multisectoral assessments brings together stakeholders from human health, animal health, border control and other pivotal sectors. The aim is both to create a holistic understanding of capacities across various sectors, and to align strategies. This fosters a united front to effectively implement and sustain enhanced points of entry capacities that will ensure coordinated and comprehensive preparedness and response to public health threats.
This WHO initiative to strengthen IHR core capacities at points of entry is crucial to enhance national, regional and global health security. Through unified efforts, Yemen is positioning itself at the forefront of health preparedness, showing its resilience and determination in the face of considerable challenges.
The success of this initiative hinges on the commitment of all involved parties. Collaboration is critical to prevent cross-border and international spread of disease and promote health security the world over.
The right to health: WHO works to bridge health divide in Yemen
7 April 2024, Sana’a, Yemen – All people have the right to health. And no matter where they live, they should be able to access and afford quality health care when they need it. The prolonged conflict in Yemen has left half of the population in need of health aid .
Vulnerable groups continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. Such groups include internally displaced people, children, women, elderly people, people with disabilities and mental health conditions, marginalized communities, and people affected by conflict-related injuries.
“The challenges that people in Yemen have to face cannot be described. Children who are referred to nutrition wards are only there because of prolonged starvation. The health system is fragile and faces difficulty in meeting the increasing demands,” said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen. “I feel for all the parents and caregivers who have to see their children getting ill in front of their eyes.”
Yemen faces a double burden of disease and armed conflict, and 17.8 million people in the country require health assistance. Of this number, 24% are women, who need access to diverse medical and reproductive health services. Children account for 50% of those in need, including 540 000 children aged under 5 years who require life-saving treatment for severe wasting – 10% of whom have severe acute malnutrition with medical complications and need highly specialized inpatient care. Inequalities are revealed in the high levels of malnutrition among mothers and children. Undernutrition remains a major public health crisis .
The multihazard risk profile for Yemen, the development of which WHO has supported, identifies 6 priority hazards with a high likelihood and potentially high public health impact: armed conflict, cholera, dengue, floods and cyclones, malaria and measles.
As the world marks the 76th World Health Day, WHO continues to support the health authorities to address the gaps, all the while working to strengthen the health system amid the conflict.
Through strong partnerships in 2023, WHO supported 245 health facilities to remain functional, providing 6.4 million outpatient consultations and reaching about 2.5 million people. Some 1.2 million children aged under 5 years were vaccinated against polio and another 1.1 million children (aged 6 months–4 years) were vaccinated against measles.
In addition, 4000 tonnes of medicines, equipment, medical furniture, information technology devices and other health technologies worth US$ 42.63 million in total were distributed to 470 health facilities across Yemen.
“Every number reflects a positive impact on people’s lives. These are men, women and children who were provided with life-saving services and were not turned away,” said Dr Pesigan. “A multisectoral approach is needed today to promote health and well-being while addressing determinants of health and risk factors. But if this is not combined with peace, true development may be difficult to achieve. Through peace, Yemen can start to heal.”
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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 launches a Pandemic Fund project to protect the most vulnerable communities from epidemic disease threats
2 April 2024, Aden, Yemen – To better protect one of the most vulnerable populations in the world from pandemic threats, Yemen has today launched the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project (PPRP).
The virtual launch event was complemented by satellite in-person events in Aden, Republic of Yemen; Amman, Jordan; and Washington, D.C., United States of America. The event was attended by His Excellency Dr Qasem Buhaibeh, Minister of Public Health and Population; His Excellency Major General Salem Abdullah Al Soqatri, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries; and Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund Secretariat.
Also present were representatives of the PPRP implementing agencies: the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank. Senior government officials, Health Cluster partners, and members of civil society and the public also joined the event.
The new PPRP will run for 3 years. Its goal is to protect and improve the health and well-being of Yemen’s people, livestock and ecosystems by strengthening the country’s ability to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to endemic and pandemic threats.
This goal will be achieved by pursuing the following 4 objectives:
Reinforce disease prevention, early warning, surveillance, detection and response capabilities through a One Health approach and at points of entry.
Improve health and veterinary laboratory capacities to confirm health threats and enhance biosafety and biosecurity.
Strengthen multisectoral workforce capacities from the community level up.
Enhance coordination, data sharing, communication and accountability among One Health stakeholders.
Delivery of these objectives will be supported by a US$ 26 million grant from the Pandemic Fund, and complementary action under other World Bank grants. These other grants include the Emergency Human Capital Project (2021–2024), implemented by UNICEF, WHO and UNOPS, with funding to date of US$ 448 million.
The Pandemic Fund grant also builds on the legacy of past successful investments that have strengthened outbreak preparedness and response, including the Yemen COVID-19 Response Project (2020–2022), implemented by WHO and the World Bank, and the Emergency Health and Nutrition Project (2017–2022), implemented by UNICEF and WHO with World Bank support.
Speaking at the launch, H.E. Dr Qasem Buhaibeh, Minister of Public Health and Population, reflected on Yemen’s commitment to improve pandemic preparedness and response: “Guided by WHO’s International Health Regulations, we are striving to raise our defences against persistent disease threats. This requires all-of-society action, and I hope everyone here today will join us in this effort.”
In recent years, building on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Yemen has started to routinely deliver on the International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities, such as IHR State Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR). The country also conducted its first WHO joint external evaluation of IHR capacities in 2023 and is developing the first Yemen National Action Plan for Health Security, building on the findings and recommendations of these assessments.
H.E. Major General Salem Abdullah Al Soqatri, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, emphasized the importance of multisectoral collaboration: “We know a whole host of threats exist at the animal–human interface – using a One Health approach, with strong coordination at all levels, we can mitigate this risk and better protect ourselves and other countries.”
Dr Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund, who joined virtually from the USA, said: "In partnership with the Government of Yemen, WHO, FAO, and UNICEF, the Pandemic Fund is proud to launch this innovative project aimed at fortifying Yemen against future major health threats. By enhancing digital surveillance capabilities and ensuring timely and effective response mechanisms are in place, alongside efforts to bolster laboratory systems and build a highly skilled health workforce, our project will significantly advance the country's pandemic preparedness and response capacities.”
WHO Representative to Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan confirmed the need for broad-based action for pandemic preparedness and response, stating: “At WHO, we often say health systems strengthening is everybody’s business. I’d like to expand on this to say pandemic preparedness and response is everybody’s business.”
UNICEF Representative to Yemen Peter Hawkins stressed that "In a world still vulnerable to the impact of pandemics, our resilience will be measured by our ability to prepare diligently and respond swiftly. Every child must be protected from the threat of emerging diseases.”
PPRP is expected to make valuable contributions to Yemen’s preparedness and response capacities. Efforts will include, with WHO support, expanding and enhancing integrated disease surveillance and response. This will be done by leveraging and improving existing platforms such as the electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System (eIDEWS) and rapid response teams positioned in each of the country’s 333 districts. The support will also help to sustain Yemen’s 12 central public health laboratories and enhance sample transportation systems.
FAO will support action to enhance surveillance for zoonotic diseases and agricultural laboratories and UNICEF will enhance community-based surveillance across the country. This work will be done in collaboration with WHO and the health authorities. At every step of the way, civil society will be engaged – to mobilize communities for pandemic action, and to ensure project accountability for the delivery of effective results.
The launch served as a crucial moment to showcase Yemen’s commitment to – and the support of local and international partners for – pandemic preparedness and response, and to mobilize broad action to protect communities from pandemic threats.
So far, the project has set up routine coordination meetings as well as a One Health coordination platform, bringing together the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, WHO, FAO and other key stakeholders. PPRP focal points have been assigned at each implementing agency and the relevant ministries. Granular technical plans are under development, along with a civil society network for pandemic action.
A joint coordination committee, made up of representatives of government entities and partner organizations, is also being set up. This will regularly review progress, discuss challenges, and provide guidance on the project’s overall strategic direction.
About the Pandemic Fund
The Pandemic Fund – a multistakeholder partnership – was developed by the World Bank, in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners. It was established as a Financial Intermediary Fund at the World Bank in September 2022, launched in November 2022 at the G20 meetings in Bali, Indonesia, and has come together to deliver financing at record speed. The Fund is an innovative addition to the international health financing toolkit, a first-of-its-kind multilateral platform dedicated to making investments in pandemic prevention and preparedness in low- and middle-income countries. It has the flexibility to work through a variety of institutions, complementing efforts, drawing in co-financing, and promoting coordination on the ground; most importantly, it incentivizes countries to prioritize this agenda and increase their own efforts. The Fund’s operating model involves collaboration with governments, WHO, other United Nations agencies, multilateral development banks, global health initiatives, the private sector, philanthropic institutions, and civil society.
Children of Yemen caught up in agony of displacement and malnutrition
1 April 2024 – A couple of years back, a house full of life and warmth dissolved into ruins amid the conflict that was ongoing in Al Hudaydah governorate. With a heavy heart, Maisa describes the loss of her home to war: “I was once above the sky to finally have a home of my own with my little family, and now what we once had as our home turned into rubble, ripping away all the joy I once had.”
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has inflicted devastating impacts on its people, especially children. The bombs stole not only Maisa’s roof, but also the joy of her family and the memories held in every corner of the house.
Two years have passed since Maisa and her family had to flee to Marib from the clutches of the war in Al Hudaydah. Now Maisa lives with her husband and 2 children, along with her husband’s 3 sisters and their parents, in a camp for internally displaced people in Marib city. The family members are split between 2 tents and share a single bathroom. Living conditions are cramped in the overcrowded camp.
Since Maisa’s family moved to Marib, her husband struggles to find consistent daily work and secure basic necessities. The conflict has crippled the country’s economy as well as its health system, and the family constantly worry about how they will afford their next meal. The deteriorating economic situation, a direct result of the conflict, has made food insecurity worse, causing millions to face the threat of starvation. As a result, levels of undernutrition, among children especially, are rising, leaving millions vulnerable to malnutrition and illness.
“My husband works for daily wages,” Maisa explains, “but there’s no guarantee of work every day. The constant worry about our next meal is a heavy burden.”
The conflict has unleashed immense suffering on the people of Yemen. Displacement adds yet more agony to families like Maisa’s who must endure extreme poverty, malnutrition and illness, coupled with the harsh conditions of living in a camp. Maisa’s 8-month-old son, Hassan, exemplifies this struggle.
Hassan was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition after being referred to the WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centre (TFC) at Al Shahid Mohammed Hael Hospital, Marib. He struggles to sleep or breastfeed properly. This is not Hassan’s first battle with malnutrition; conditions in the camp have caused him to relapse.
“My child has been frail from the moment he was born, and now his condition is improving, I just wish I could maintain the health of my child,” says Maisa. “I live in constant fear [of] losing him to malnutrition and disease.”
WHO, along with the Central Emergency Response Fund, plays a critical role in supporting 23 TFCs across Yemen, providing essential medical supplies, laboratory supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, and covering oxygen refilling costs. WHO also supports nearly 395 health workers with performance-based payments to maintain life-saving health and nutrition services. The health workers have gone beyond the provision of life-saving services provision to apply preventive measures too, in the form of both infant and young child feeding counselling, and mental health and psychosocial support.
These 23 TFCs provide all their services free of charge, while consistently meeting the quality standard of life-saving health and nutrition services. This ensures access to life-saving treatment for thousands of children like Hassan. With the WHO support, the centres have so far treated about 8774 severely malnourished children aged under 5 years. Nearly 97% of these children have recovered and been referred to the outpatient therapeutic feeding programme for follow-up.
“I could have lost him if it wasn’t for the free-of-charge treatment here ¬– for that, I’m very grateful for WHO for saving my child,” says Maisa, of Hassan. “I wish that my children remain healthy and have regular meals. Every mother wishes to be able to save her children from agony and turn their suffering into happiness.”
*Note: The beneficiary is in a hard-to-reach location, and was only accessible via phone. The images used are expressive and are not related to the person or location mentioned.
More than 1.29 million children in Yemen protected from polio after door-to-door immunization campaign
5 March 2024, Aden, Yemen – In just 4 days, a polio immunization campaign in Yemen has reached more than 1.29 million children aged under 5 years. Overall, the campaign achieved 101% coverage, with a range of 89% to over 100%. Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population collaborated with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver this successful campaign.
“This is an important step to protect children from deadly childhood diseases. With confirmed cases of polio among Yemeni children, an imminent threat persists. This is an ongoing risk to the life of every unvaccinated child. Health authorities and donors must continue to work together to ensure universal immunization coverage for all children across Yemen,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.
“This is a major achievement in advancing the health outcomes and well-being of children in Yemen. Poliovirus and other childhood diseases can cause permanent disabilities and, in many cases, death. But a small dose of vaccine can provide the necessary protection. There is no reason for children to die of vaccine-preventable diseases. Children are the future, and all investment in their health is an investment in the development of the country,” said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen.
The campaign was implemented with the generous support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Through this campaign, Yemen joined more than 35 countries in using the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), which has been granted WHO prequalification. The success of the campaign also resulted from joining forces with health providers who worked hard to reach unvaccinated and zero-dose children to reduce the spread of the disease.
Notes to editors
From 2021 to 2023, Yemen reported 237 variant poliovirus type 2 cases – both circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). These are known to emerge in contexts of chronic underimmunization. The cases came from 117 districts, and 90% of the affected children were aged under 5 years, while 10% of cases were older children.
Low vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy leave children vulnerable to outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases that can easily be prevented. Organized and widespread antivaccination campaigns that misinform the public have also prevented the effective control of disease outbreaks in many communities.
More information
Polio outbreak in Yemen: situation update
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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.
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
Polio immunization campaign to protect 1.3 million children in 12 governorates of Yemen
25 February 2024, Aden, Yemen – Around 1.3 million children aged under 5 years will be protected against polio in a vaccination campaign launched today with the support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Ministry of Public Health and Population aims to reach every child and UNICEF and WHO are assisting by providing the vaccine through cold chain storage and providing funding for training and deployment of vaccinators for the campaign targeting 12 governorates in Yemen.
This vaccination campaign is in response to an outbreak of variant poliovirus type 2, which to date has paralysed 237 children across Yemen. Polio infection can result in permanent, debilitating paralysis. It has no known cure but can easily be prevented through vaccination.
“For Yemen’s children, vaccination offers much-needed protection in one of the world’s most challenging contexts. The teams have been working around the clock to train vaccinators and make sure the cold rooms and solar fridges are working and cold boxes are in place to keep the vaccine cold from the moment it arrives in Yemen until it reaches every girl and boy under the age of 5 years,” said UNICEF Representative in Yemen Peter Hawkins.
“We know that it is not enough to tell parents why it is important to vaccinate their children. In Yemen, where parents are dealing with conflict, economic crisis and extremely limited public health infrastructure and services, we need to improve access to vaccination. We need to make it easier. In this campaign, we have worked closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to ensure the vaccine will be brought to the doorstep of every house in every community in these 12 governorates,” added WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan.
Mass immunization campaigns aim to boost population immunity in a context of increased risk. This polio campaign comes as children continue to be paralysed, and as testing of wastewater shows the presence of poliovirus in communities. The campaign aims to give girls and boys aged under 5 years an extra boost of protection, on top of their regularly scheduled immunizations and the supplementary immunization campaigns that took place in 2022 and 2023. A second round of the polio vaccination campaign will happen after Ramadan.
The vaccination campaign in Yemen is part of the global effort to eradicate poliovirus, spearheaded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
February 2024 polio vaccination campaign in numbers
3-day campaign: 25, 26 and 27 February
1 290 046 children targeted
120 districts across 12 governorates
5882 mobile vaccination teams
845 vaccination teams working from health facilities
1 billion children globally have already benefited from novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) protection.
Zero cost to parents: vaccination is free.
Media contacts
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