APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) More than 956 metric tons of medicines and medical supplies have been dispatched to health facilities across Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Tigray Region during the first nine months of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report.
According to the latest health cluster bulletin released on Thursday, the conflict in northern Ethiopia that started in November 2020 has led to the weakening of the healthcare system in the Tigray Region.
The report said the phenomenon was further worsened by the limited capacity of the regional health bureau to respond to the crisis, shortage of medical supplies, gaps in the health workforce and damaged healthcare infrastructure.
As part of the response efforts, from January to September 2023, more than 956 metric tons of medicines and medical supplies were dispatched to health facilities across the region, the report said.
According to the report, more than 1.9 million people have received health services from health cluster partners during the reported period, while over 911,000 affected people in the region were provided with life-saving essential healthcare services by 28 partners.
It warned that due to conflict-disrupted disease prevention measures such as routine immunization, the risk of communicable disease outbreaks, especially cholera and measles, is high.
The report, citing the Early Warning, Alert and Response System, further warned that malaria continued to be the highest cause of morbidity in the region with a cumulative 204,398 cases reported during the first nine months of 2023.
MG/abj/APA