World Health Organization donates vital medications and equipment to the Afar region in Ethiopia

Idi Amara in Ethiopia

Recently, the WHO-Ethiopia Country Office’s Afar Field Office hand delivered medical supplies and medicines to Dubti General Hospital as part of efforts to improve health service delivery, which had gone for years unattended by the government.

WHO also supplied medicines and medical supplies directly to eight health facilities that urgently required them, namely Kellewan Primary Hospital, Chifra Primary Hospital, Mohammed Akile Hospital, Asaita Primary Hospital, Mile Health Centre, Dubti Health Center, Logia Health Center, and Semera Health Centre.

“The supplies were donated to strengthen the Regional Health Bureau’s effort in addressing the recent upsurge of Dengue Fever and Malaria cases, as well as to improve access to emergency and lifesaving care for IDPs, refugees, and flood-affected communities in the region,” Dr. Nonhlanhla Dlamini, Acting Representative to WHO-Ethiopia indicated.

According to Patrick Abok, who serves as the Team Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) at the WHO Ethiopia Country Office, the availability of medical supplies is crucial to provide urgent and fundamental healthcare and nutritional services, aiming to reach a larger population in the region.

At the event where the transfer of responsibility occurred, Mr. Wittika Nore, who is the Deputy Head of Regional Health Bureau, said in her statement.

“WHO has been unswervingly providing support that enabled the region to overcome many emergencies. The timely support received from WHO is critical in alleviating the recent upsurge in Dengue Fever and Malaria cases in the region”, Mr. Wittika said and urged WHO to consolidate further its ongoing efforts of rehabilitating the health facilities and systems that have been impacted due to the conflict in Northern Ethiopia.

“This is a continuation of the support WHO has been providing to the Northern Ethiopia response since 2020”, Ms. Marjorie Mupandare, Northern Ethiopia Response Incident Manager for WHO-Ethiopia, said. “Through its Afar Region field office, WHO has been coordinating and extending several humanitarian and emergency support to the Afar region,” Marjorie added.

In response to the flooding that affected Asaita, Dubti, Amibara, and Gewani Woredas in the region, the WHO regional field office took action in April 2023 by providing and distributing three MT of IEHK-2017.

Over five metric tons of nutrition supplies in the form of PEDSAM kits have been disbursed to six hospitals, including Dubti, Asaita, Abeala, Mohammed Akile, Chifra, and Kellewan, with a view to enhancing the nutritional wellbeing of kids facing Severe Acute Malnutrition.

In an effort to enhance healthcare waste management, the WHO has distributed 2,100 bins of varying sizes and colors to all healthcare facilities in the area.

The construction of incinerators and ash pits in the health centers of Asaita, Dubti, and Semera has been funded by WHO.