Highlights
In the six northern regions, UNICEF-supported Community Health Workers (CHWs) have reached more than 4,800 children under five with nutrition screening, of which 112 were referred and treated for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Parents of these children also received key messages on sanitation and hygiene.
In Ohangwena region, 145 CHWs and 150 Health workers were trained on Infant and Young Child Feeding practices and management of SAM. The Erongo region was the last one to roll out the Health extension Programme with the graduation of an initial 36 CHWs.
The first open defecation free village was celebrated in Ohangwena during a ceremony led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. In Ohangwena, Kavango (East and West) and Zambezi, more than 5,000 households from 218 villages have been triggered to build their own toilets using Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.
Stock out of RUTF in the last six months in almost all the health facilities is resulting in an increase in SAM admissions.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The population displaced in the northern regions (Kavango East, Kavango West, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Zambezi) by the La Niña induced floods have now returned to their homesteads but continue to suffer from its effects. The estimated 155,924 people most affected by floods require humanitarian assistance in terms of food aid, treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and malaria.
The El Niño induced drought and flooding due to the La Niña compounded with poor sanitation, especially in rural areas, had a negative impact on household income, food security and also contributed to the spread of diseases. The situation is complicated by stock out of RUTF and other nutrition commodities. Close to 75 per cent of health facilities country-wide reported complete stock out of RUTF since the start of the year. In response, the Ministry of Health and Social Services,through the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), ordered 300 cartons of RUTF that will last for the next three months.
Malaria has surged in the northern regions with approximately 53,000 new cases and 72 deaths reported in the first six months of 2017. Floods provided a fertile ground for the mosquitoes to breed and despite the government efforts to control and eliminate mosquitoes through residual spraying and active case search. *
The 2017/18 rainy season is forecasted to be normal to below normal for October to December 2017 and normal to above normal rainfall January to March 20181 .