Addis Ababa, 19 January 2016 (WIC) – The Afar Regional State Health Bureau disclosed that it has started providing mobile health service in drought affected areas of the region.
The Bureau’s Disease Prevention and Health Enrichment Officer, Yasin Habib, told Walta Information Center that the region has started providing mobile health service in 32 drought affected Woreda’s of the region in order to curb the outbreak of communicable diseases on children and lactating mothers.
Yasin said that both the regional and the federal government have been seriously following up the service provision.
According to the officer, screening of drought affected areas has been conducted once every month as opposed to the six-month practice earlier. He noted that the screened out children who are under five years of age will be provided with the necessary vaccination immediately.
The officer told Walta that 13 vans have been put to use in addition to the health institutions in the region. The officer added that health professionals dispatched for the service refer children to therapeutic feeding centers in 45 locations.
Accordingly, 6,300 children have been admitted to therapeutic feeding centers last month, said Yasin.
It is hard to reach areas like Elidear Woreda bordering with and the region has given special attention by establishing therapeutic feeding centers in the medical center. Such engagements will continue in other Woredas when need be, said the officer.
According to Yasin, only measles has happened in pocket areas of the region. There has not been any epidemic so far. The Ministry of Health has placed two health professionals in every Woreda to provide health service and monitor the health situation in the region.