Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities1 |
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing
vulnerabilities
Emergency Preparedness and Humanitarian ActionWHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing
vulnerabilities
Emergency Preparedness and Humanitarian ActionWHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities2 |
ContextContext
More than 15 years of conflict and insecurity
South Central Zone worst off over 2 million people (> 450,000 IDPs) in chronic need of relief and assistance
Dilapidated health systems – Unskilled work force– Old or destroyed infrastructure– Nonexistent governing structures and regulatory capacities– Limited access– Unchecked private sector
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities3 |
Chronic food insecurity - malnutrition rates over 25% in some areas
Prevalent infectious and communicable diseases - diarrhea, malaria, measles, ARI, Meningitis
Non-existent or very weak surveillance system
Low immunization coverage - re-surgence of polio cases
Difficult access to primary health care - nomadic population
Limited access and availability of safe water and sanitation services
Health IssuesHealth Issues
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities4 |
Acute episodes: Drought Nov ’05 – April ‘06
Acute episodes: Drought Nov ’05 – April ‘06
Worst drought in the Horn of Africa in a decade – more than 11 million people affected
Drought affected pastoral and agricultural communities, an estimated 1 million people in South Central Somalia
A regional problem: a cross-border issue (population and live stock movement)
Inequity of response on different sides of the border (pull-factors)
Increased competition for resources between crises in the region but also internationally.
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities5 |
Somalia cross border food security situation analysis
Jan-Jun 2006
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities6 |
Floods in South Central Somalia July ‘06 – Jan ’07
Floods in South Central Somalia July ‘06 – Jan ’07
Over 500,000 people affected
Contamination of water sources
Acute Watery Diarrhea, Malaria, Acute Respiratory Infections
Vector-borne: Malaria and Rift Valley Fever
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities7 |
MapMap
Somalia :
Flood Hazard Distribution Map
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities8 |
Rift Valley Fever – Dec ’06 – Jan ‘07Rift Valley Fever – Dec ’06 – Jan ‘07
Hundreds of deaths in livestock
103 suspected human cases; over 50 reported deaths
On-going conflict between TFG and UIC complicating surveillance and outbreak response
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities9 |
Somalia:
Human RVF cases in Lower Juba
Suspected cases reported from Afmadow & Kismayo Districts (close to Kenyan border)
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities10 |
Acute Watery DiarrheaFeb ’07 – to date
Acute Watery DiarrheaFeb ’07 – to date
Mainly South Central affected
Over 12,000 cases with over 400 deaths
Outbreak ongoing
Affected population moving out of Mogadishu to the periphery to evade conflict
Health care and monitoring capacities already very limited and overstretched
Picture: Cholera Treatment Centre in Safarloyle, Somalia
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities11 |
WHO ResponseWHO Response
Emergency supplies Strengthening and
facilitation of coordination Disease surveillance and
outbreak response Provision of outreach
essential health services Immunization coverage Water and Sanitation Technical support to
zonal/district authorities Health education Training of health staff
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities12 |
ChallengesChallenges
Cross-border issuesNon-existent and/or changing counterpartsPastoralism misunderstoodInadequate local leadershipLimited preparedness plans and capacitiesExtremely limited human resources Insecurity and access Funding constraintsDonor fatigue
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities13 |
ICT ChallengesICT Challenges
Non-existent regulatory structuresUnreliable national/zonal networksHigh logistical and operational costsVirtual trouble shootingLooting/confiscating of equipment and vehicles
by factions (Polio equipment in January’07)
Humanitarian Health Challenges in Somalia: Saving lives and reducing vulnerabilities14 |
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Effective early warning does not always translate into timely or adequate response in slow-onset (drought) disaster/s
Investment in national capacity
As emergency continues, enhance understanding of, invest and strengthen pastoralist livelihood systems
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