Trauma care and mass casualty management
Mass Casualty Management Simulation exercise in Madina Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo credit: WHO / Ismail Taxta
Trauma-related fatalities are on the rise in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, as its countries and territories suffer ongoing conflict, escalation of violence, and natural disasters.
Injury death rates are nearly 3 times higher in low- and middle-income countries of the Region than in its high-income countries. Traumatic injuries are most common in fragile and conflict-affected settings. But the populations most in need of trauma care services are typically those least able to access them.
Between 60% and 80% of all trauma-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries of the Region occur before reaching the hospital, reveals a recent WHO analysis. About one quarter of these fatalities may be avoidable with basic control of haemorrhage at the time of injury.
In low-resource settings, however, prehospital services are rudimentary, and injured patients are often stabilized and even transported to hospital by family, friends or members of the public.
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WHO concerned about health situation in Al Hol camp, Northeast Syria, following denials of access by camp administration
9 June 2024, Cairo/Damascus -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned about the health situation in Al Hol Camp in Al-Hasakeh, Northeast Syria. Today marks one month since WHO’s field staff were denied access to the camp by the Camp Administration. This reportedly follows WHO’s decision to suspend hospital referrals for displaced people in the camp due to funding shortages.
Despite using all available channels of communication Camp Administration and relevant authorities, including persistent advocacy efforts through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), donors and Member States. However, the Organization’s access has not been restored.
The resulting situation directly endangers the lives and well-being of the vulnerable camp population and potentially exposes them to severe public health risks, including disease outbreaks which may increase during warmer months.
WHO reiterates its commitment to vulnerable populations. The Organization is maintaining its efforts to mobilize resources and restore critical services to the camp, including working with donors who are actively seeking to close the funding gap.
WHO’s humanitarian health activities in Al Hol camp extend beyond hospital referrals. Its services include health sector coordination, routine immunization, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), water quality monitoring, disease surveillance and early warning, delivery of medical supplies, technical health expertise, and capacity building for health workers.
WHO urgently calls on its partners and the international community to support and advocate with relevant stakeholders in Northeast Syria to immediately restore WHO’s access to Al Hol camp. Unconditional access is essential for WHO to deliver on its public health mandate and mitigate the significant health risks in this already vulnerable setting.
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