“Malaria is a serious health problem in Yemen, and it kills. Internally displaced people, malnourished people especially children under 5 and pregnant women living in malaria transmission areas and in emergency situations in several regions in Yemen are the most vulnerable for malaria infections and its serious complications. This grant will enable WHO to expands its malaria preventive and control and scaling-up the fight against malaria”, said Dr Adel Al-Jasari, WHO malaria officer.
Over 1.2 million malaria and dengue tests will be procured and WHO will support the implementation of the integrated community case management plan in 10 districts and the distribution of antimalarial medicines to 1496 health facilities in all governorates.
This generous injection of funding to support an important yet historically underfunded programme now allows WHO to protect 1.6 million people through indoor residual spraying, and 4 million people against dengue through space fogging, source reduction and risk communication. Moreover, internally displaced people will be receiving 658 000 mosquito nets.
Almost 5 years of sustained conflict in Yemen have left over 30 million people in need of some form of humanitarian or protection assistance. Approximately 19.7 million people need health assistance, as Yemen’s fragile health system continues to struggle. Half of Yemen’s health care facilities are either only partially functioning or closed. Almost one fifth of the country’s 333 districts have no doctors. Tens of thousands of health care workers have not been paid for the past 3 years. These funds will go a long way towards eliminating malaria in Yemen.
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Inas Hamam
Communications Officer
WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Muneerah Al-Mahdli
Communications Officer
WHO, Yemen
