MOGADISHU (Xinhua) — The World Health Organization (WHO) unveiled a fresh initiative on Wednesday, aiming to provide life-saving aid to close to 900,000 people by 2024.
The focus is on aiding Somalis who are grappling with the enduring effects of extreme climate shifts like floods and droughts.
“This initiative will bolster referral connections between communities and healthcare facilities, enhancing quality, accessibility, and reach of essential medical care. This encompasses in-patient treatment for severely malnourished children with medical issues at stabilization centers,” stated the UN health agency in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
This new effort builds on a previous project that reached over 3 million drought and flood-affected individuals in Somalia, integrating health and nutrition services. “It will cover 15 districts across the nation impacted by floods and droughts.”
The WHO plans to address the health repercussions of frequent climatic disruptions, food scarcity, and disease outbreaks, particularly cholera, while fortifying the health system’s backbone.
By WHO’s accounts, Somalia is facing an ongoing cholera crisis, exacerbated by catastrophic flooding in December 2023, which wrecked sanitation systems and triggered more displacements.
Projections indicate that this cholera outbreak will persist due to heavy Gu rains (April-to-June), potentially leading to flash floods.
The WHO also intends to support Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Human Services in reinforcing measures for disease prevention, early detection, and swift outbreak response, including cholera, on a district level.
