Paris, 21 February 2008
Yemen is the poorest country on the Arabian peninsula. Rural areas, where 80% of the population live, are particularly affected by poverty. In January 2007, MdM started a programme aimed at improving access to healthcare and the quality of care provided in one of the poorest areas of the country, Bani Kayes district. The programme focuses on training and mentoring activities, as well as provision of medicines and medical equipment.
The public health system in Yemen is really struggling; the shortage of trained professionals, poor salaries and the lack of medical supplies and medicines make it impossible for the health service to provide proper care. The Ministry of Health budget has been cut repeatedly (falling from 5.1% in 1998 to 3.5% in 2002 [1] ). Despite legislation guaranteeing free healthcare for the very poor, patients have to pay 75% of their health costs. Treatment costs are often prohibitively expensive for poor populations living in remote areas. The primary healthcare systemcurrently covers only 42% of the population’s needs.
North-west of the capital Sanaa, Hajjah governorate is surrounded by mountains. The health infrastructure in this area is very under-developed. There is no electricity supply, no safe water, nor any sanitation and these are important medical risk factors. Like the rest of the country, this region is particularly affected by malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. In a country where access to contraception remains limited because of limited resources and where women have an average of 6.7 children, 360 women per 100,000 die each year because of childbirth and 75 children per 10,000 die before they are one year old.
In Beni Kayes district in Hajjah governorate, Médecins du Monde has been supporting the health centre and seven Ministry of Health healthcare units since June 2007. MdM provides training for healthcare staff, supervises trained staff and supplies medicines and equipment. The healthcare staff will also be trained to provide health education sessions, under MdM’s supervision, to the district’s population.
For four years, Saada region in the north of Yemen has been devastated by war and totally inaccessible for international humanitarian organisations. In July 2007, the signature of a peace agreement enabled access to Saada town. Since October 2007, MdM has been providing first aid training to health workers and to volunteers from the Ministry of Health, the Yemeni Red Crescent, local NGOs and women’s groups, in order to improve access to healthcare. In total, 300 people will be trained to deal with medical emergencies and will receive a first aid kit.
Florence Priolet / Céline Morel
+33 1 44 92 14 31 / 14.32 – +33 6 09 17 35 59
www.medecinsdumonde.org
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[1] World Health Organization, Yemen National Expenditure on Health, Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean, 2003