Khabar Khair (Only Good News)

       The World Bank said: Yemen is making progress in combating neglected tropical diseases. Stressing that, Lymphatic filariasis was eliminated as a public health problem in 2019.

     In its latest update on its emergency interventions in Yemen, the World Bank added that the administrative certification of the elimination of leprosy in Yemen is underway.

    It explained that technical teams are working hard to eliminate blindness of infectious origins: trachoma by 2024, and onchocerciasis, or river blindness, by 2030.

“This progress is encouraging, and a sign that the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem may be within reach in Yemen in the next five years,” said Dr. Adham Rashad Ismail Abdel-Moneim, WHO’s Yemen Representative. “Reaching it, however, will depend on continued support from partners.”.

    He added, “However, achieving this goal will depend on the continued support of partners.”

The Emergency Health and Nutrition Project (EHNP), funded by IDA, the World Bank’s fund for poorest countries, has helped to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem in Yemen.

    “Nothing beats a child’s smile. This project represents a critical opportunity to decrease the disease burden among vulnerable Yemenis, particularly children.” said Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Manager for Yemen.

    She added, ” The project is part of the World Bank’s strategy to invest in Yemen’s most important assets: its people”.”

    According to the World Bank report, during a recent four-day mass campaign, almost 860,000 children and adolescents between 6- and 19-years-old, were targeted (whether enrolled in school or not) across seven southern and eastern governorates.

     The governorates covered by the campaign are: Abyan, Hadramout/Mukalla, Hadramout/Sayoun, Lahj, Mareb, Shabwa, and Taiz..

     In total, 37 districts, 373 team leaders, 1,070 team supervisors, and 2,140 drug distributors were involved and over 80% of the target population reached.

The campaign was carried out in close collaboration with Yemen’s Ministry of Education and th Health Education Center, which is part of the Ministry of Public Health and Population..

   The report pointed out that The campaign in January 2021 targeted 2.4 million people at 3,300 sites across 32 districts in seven northern governorates, involving 6,700 drug distributors.

    The World Bank report indicated that More mass campaigns against soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis are planned in 2022, with more investment to improve community engagement made in order to reach more than 80% of the targeted population in future.