(Adnkronos) – In Yemen, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is registering a sharp increase in cases of acute diarrhea in the governorates of Hodeidah and Hajjah. In a single week, starting from September 7, cases increased by 65%, while the humanitarian situation in the country worsens, denounces MSF, which invites humanitarian actors to intervene urgently and allocate funds to strengthen the response to this potentially fatal disease.
At the Abs General Hospital, in the Hajjah governorate, the number of cases has doubled since the beginning of September compared to the previous month, reaching more than 400 patients, while at the Al Qanawis Hospital in Hodeida, an average of more than 21 patients per week have been admitted, a 50% increase. Many of these patients are children under the age of five. To cope with the increase in cases, MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, opened a diarrhea treatment center with 50 beds at the Abs General Hospital. The center was then expanded to 75 beds and another one with 20 beds was opened in Al Qanawis. Since the beginning of activities in July, MSF centers have treated a total of 4,493 patients suffering from acute diarrhea in both governorates.
“Every day we see more and more children arriving in serious conditions, often with complications such as dehydration and malnutrition,” says Aziz Harouna, MSF medical coordinator in Yemen. “Our teams have expanded the diarrhea treatment units in the two governorates, and are implementing prevention and infection control measures to contain the spread of the disease. This increase comes at a time when the country is already affected by cuts in humanitarian aid.”
MSF is asking international and regional donors and humanitarian actors to intervene and increase their support to prevent the crisis from worsening. The state of disrepair of infrastructure in Yemen, years of conflict and difficulties in accessing drinking water and sanitation, aggravated by recent torrential rains, have fueled the spread of waterborne diseases, the organization denounces. Acute diarrhea, a potentially fatal condition if not treated promptly, represents a particularly serious risk for children under the age of five. This latest peak adds to an already serious humanitarian crisis that continues to affect millions of people across the country.
“When my daughter got sick, I took her to the clinic in our area, but her condition only worsened. I was so afraid of losing her. Then I took her to the Abs hospital. The doctors are treating her and now she is better. We have been displaced several times from one place to another and not having money it was difficult to get here, but I am grateful that the treatment is free,” says Dosh Hadi, mother of Aima.
MSF teams are conducting individual and group health promotion sessions within hospitals aimed at patients’ families, visitors and communities, to raise awareness about the disease, its symptoms and prevention methods. In addition, MSF teams are ensuring access to drinking water within the facilities and strengthening infection control measures.
