By Adedapo Adesanya
The World Health Organization (WHO) has disclosed that about 10.9 million persons displaced by insurgency have benefited from emergency health interventions in the past three years in the north eastern part of Nigeria.
WHO disclosed this in an annual situation report, stating that Grade-3 health emergencies were provided to persons affected by the conflict between 2016 and 2019 in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
The report disclosed that 3.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were vaccinated against cholera in the affected states and three million children screened against malnutrition. It was added that 13,000 of them with medical complications were referred for treatment.
The UN health agency also revealed that 2.6 million children aged between six months and 10 years were immunized against measles in 25 local government areas of Borno state.
The report also said that about 1.3 million others aged between 3 and 59 months were administered with anti-malaria drugs, noting that, “545,000 children reached with a comprehensive package of integrated, newborn, child health interventions in 1,000 communities by 980 community resource persons.”
“13,000 severe acute malnutrition children with medical complications treated in 31 stabilisation centers in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, while 44,000 mental health patients consulted in the over 1,960 sessions,” it added.
The document further stated that 2,000 beneficiaries were also provided with mental health services, for the first time, at primary health facilities in Borno state.
