Cairo, 5 January 2021- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) are working together to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in targeted health facilities and water quality monitoring and surveillance in cholera high-risk districts.
Through a new US$ 7 million award, a joint project will provide improved access and enhanced provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services to 45 health care facilities all over Yemen which had been identified with the most acute needs by the Health Cluster and the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan.
Improved and safe management of health care waste practices will be implemented in 117 health facilities and 100 diarrhoea treatment centres to prevent bloodborne and hospital-acquired infections, including COVID-19.
Water quality surveillance will be conducted with the provision of potable water quality testing kits in 33 cholera high-risk districts. Three regional water quality testing laboratories will be established in vulnerable areas to ensure the availability of a safe water supply.
"Improved WASH services at the hospital level will allow the functionality of preventative health programmes, including newborn care, elimination of childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea and control of cholera," said Dr Adham Ismail, WHO Representative in Yemen.
"Through strengthening infection control practices and training health care personnel on safe waste management practices, the project will help enhance safe and environmentally sound management of health care waste and prevent adverse health and environmental impacts," he added.
Overall, the project will benefit over 653 000 people in priority cholera high-risk districts across Yemen.
The partnership is part of a broader US$ 46 million agreement between the 2 organizations, signed in September 2020, that also included 3 other projects on COVID-19 preparedness and response, nutrition, and the delivery of essential health services.
KSrelief has been the main funding partner of WHO Yemen in 2019–2020. Since October 2019, the partnership between the 2 organizations has helped preserve Yemen's health system, including through support to the most vulnerable. Continuous support from KSrelief has allowed WHO to facilitate the provision of life-saving medicines, including treatment for patients with chronic, life-threatening conditions, such as kidney failure. The partnership has also supported child immunization programmes and assistance to pregnant women for safe birth deliveries.
