WHO: 20,000 Souls Lost to Boko Haram Crisis

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has lamented that the Boko Haram crisis has led to over 20,000 deaths.
The United Nations’ organ in its 2018 Annual Report just released said: “Ongoing crisis in North-east Nigeria has led to over 20,000 deaths in the past nine years.”

The WHO also lamented that health systems were disrupted in the troubled region and it was difficult to cope with the upsurge of treatable ailment.

It revealed that the situation of the region as a result of the decade old crisis led to increased frequency of disease outbreaks.
It said in spite of the difficult environment, it has been able to provide technical leadership and with the coordination of health sector partners, increase access to quality of essential health services.

It said it has also been able to strengthen disease surveillance and health information management; prevent and control public health risks; and strengthen health systems in the crisis ridden region.

The WHO said since its intervention about three years ago in the health sector in the North-east, 2.5 million children were offered routine immunization by mobile health teams, 2.1 million people reached with urgently needed health humanitarian support.
It also said that two million IDPs and host community members were vaccinated against yellow fever in Borno State alone and 1.3 million people reached with integrated healthcare services by mobile health teams.

The organ of the UN also in the report said a million IDPs and host community members were reached with interpersonal risk communication, with over 600,000 mothers and caregivers reached with health promotion messages.

It also said that 200,000 children were treated for common childhood illnesses like malaria, pneumonia and diarrheal diseases.
The report revealed that eight health facilities were undergoing rehabilitation in both Yobe and Adamawa States.

Meanwhile, WHO yesterday concluded a three-day workshop on Health Reporting during Emergencies for over 40 journalists selected from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

At the capacity building workshop held in Yola, Adamawa State, the media practitioners were thought among other things: Basic Facts on Diseases of Public Health Importance in Emergencies, Redefining the Roles of Mass Media during Health Emergencies, Using Data to Communicate Health Risks: A case study of Cholera Outbreak in North East, Health Reporting from a Development Communication Perspectives, among others.