Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], December 22: The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concern over the escalating public health needs in Ethiopia.
The WHO said in a statement issued late Wednesday that the displacement of millions of people in Ethiopia has disrupted essential health and nutrition services, as the compounding factors of conflict, insecurity, and movement restrictions have exacerbated.
According to the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023, some 17.4 million people across the East African country are affected by a prolonged El Nino-induced drought, floods, and conflicts, with the Somali, Afar, Oromia, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia, and Southwest areas experiencing the most significant impact.
"The dire circumstances have triggered a surge in disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever, along with alarming levels of acute malnutrition," the WHO said.
It said the ongoing drought's impact in the Amhara and Tigray regions is particularly concerning, with more than 5 million people affected by drought-like conditions leading to public health emergencies, escalating risks of negative coping strategies, malnutrition, and zoonotic outbreaks.
The WHO said it is actively supporting the regional health cluster, nutrition cluster, and drought incident management system by deploying Mobile Health Teams, prepositioning and distributing emergency medical supplies, and providing technical support.
"Despite these efforts, health response to the multiple emergencies still needs more funding," the WHO said.
Source: Xinhua