By Haruna Gimba
A World Health Organisation (WHO) emergency health team has arrived Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, north-eastern Nigeria on August 19, 2016, to assess and respond to the health needs of 800,000 people formerly held by militant insurgency groups.
A statement issued to newsmen said WHO is scaling up its emergency response activities, together with partners, to assist hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need of health services.
It was reported that more than half of the health facilities in Borno State, the area most severely affected, are not functioning.
According to the reports, initial assessments reveal urgent health problems among the population in 15 Local Government Areas formerly held by insurgency groups. Estimated mortality rates in some of the areas are four times higher than emergency thresholds.
Nigeria last week reported two polio cases in Borno state, two years
after the last recorded case in the country. Also, the rate of severe acute malnutrition is estimated to be 14 per cent.
One of the cases is from an LGA that is still inaccessible to health service delivery, while the other is from a newly accessible LGA. Measles cases have also been reported in the area, further complicating a challenging humanitarian environment.
The immediate goal of WHO and its partners is to urgently reduce the rates of death and disease by rapidly scaling up life-saving health services.
The statement added that WHO team will work closely with local officials and specialist agencies to address the health risks posed by malnutrition, disease outbreaks, and long-term lack of access to basic health services.
