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Yemen

YEMEN - Governorate of Hodeidah, Al Marawa and Al Hali districts

FIELD LOCATION
Governorate of Hodeidah, Al Hali and Al Marawa districts.

TARGET POPULATION
Population: 142,500 men, women and children
56,000 in Al Hali
86,500 in Al Marawa

A.M.I. TEAM
3 expatriates: 1 head of operations, 2 medical advisers, 1 temporary administrator/logistician
13 local staff members: 2 physicians, 1 midwife, 1 pharmacist, 1 laboratory head, 1 translator, 1 administrator, 1 logistician, 1 assistant logistician, service personnel

FUNDING
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Center, EuropeAid (European Commission).



Although part of the Arabian Peninsula, a region considered relatively rich, Yemen is among the 30 least developed countries of the world. Over 40% of the population lives under the poverty line.
Despite efforts made during the last decade, the Yemeni population has only very limited access to basic services such as education and drinking water (over a third of the people are deprived of water supply). Added to this is a high level of tension in the north of the country, between the Houthi people and the government, as well as in the south where secessionist forces are opposed to the central government.
The situation has a strong impact on health care, as is evidenced by certain indicators. In cities as well as rural areas, where the health care system suffers cruelly from a lack of financial and human resources, primary health care is severely limited (only 45% of the Yemeni people have access). Contagious diseases and malnutrition constitute the main causes of morbidity and mortality, and rural areas comprising 74% of the population are the most affected. Women and children are the most vulnerable – maternal mortality accounts for 42% of all deaths in women of childbearing age, and the rate of mortality in children under five is 105 for every 1,000 births. The population in general suffers from chronic nutritional insufficiency, and 46% of children under five suffer from malnutrition.



In 2006, during an exploratory mission, the Governorate of Hodeida retained the attention of A.M.I. teams. Hodeidah is located in the Tihama, a desert zone along the Red Sea, one of the poorest and most populated areas in the country.
After conclusion of agreements with the government and authorities concerned, A.M.I. launched a base of operations in February 2007, and activities began, funded by the Humanitarian Aid Delegation of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DAH), in the districts of Al Marawa, a rural area, and Al Hali, an urban area. Support for eight government health care structures reinforced their organizational, technical and material capabilities.
New sources of funding have guaranteed the continuation of the program from 2008 through 2011. Thus, the 2008 program was expanded and reinforced, and adapted to the specifics of the two areas.



A.M.I.’s program aims to improve the quality of treatment and preventive care, and to adapt their cost to the low finances of the 142,000 inhabitants of the two areas. Accordingly, A.M.I. is consolidating the organizational, technical and material capabilities of six health care structures in the 1st echelon of the Al Marawa district (two of these during the year), and ten structures in the Al Hali district (also during the year).
> support to these structures focuses on:
training of local medical personnel and support in their daily tasks
follow-up and evaluation of the trained personnel, in cooperation with the Health Ministry
supply of materials and medical disposables; diverse furniture and equipment
supply of essential medicines; optimizing inventory management.
> within the scope of this support, special attention is given to the following:
prenatal and postnatal care, detection of high-risk pregnancies and reduction of risks incurred during pregnancy and delivery
care and treatment of the child, including diagnosis and treatment of common local diseases
health education for pregnant women and mothers
diagnosis and treatment of malaria
collection, analysis and follow-up of epidemiological data.
A.M.I. is working in close collaboration with the Health Ministry with a view to continuing its projects and ensure durable, reproducible results in neighboring districts.

» Reducing food-linked risks in Al Marawa
A three-year program to reduce food-linked risks in the district of Al Marawa is being conducted by A.M.I. and Triangle (Triangle Génération Humanitaire). The program is based on a comprehensive plan of action including improvement in managing natural resources, diversification of crops, and awareness of better practices in nutrition, hygiene, health, etc. Also included is optimization of access to primary health care with prevention and treatment of malnutrition.