Health Minister calls for enhancing partnership between concerned bodies to eradicate cholera

SANAA, Jan. 29 (YPA) – Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Taha al-Mutawakil on Tuesday stressed the importance of strengthening the partnership between the different concerned bodies to eradicate cholera epidemic and to declare Yemen free of this epidemic and other epidemics.

At the conclusion of the joint workshop to review interventions of response and preparedness to confront the cholera epidemic, which was organized by the World Health Organization and UNICEF in cooperation with Ministries of Public Health and Water, Dr. al-Mutawakil indicated to the need for uniting efforts of the health ministry and the concerned authorities to take urgent measures to eliminate cholera before summer.

“Yemen is facing a major challenge especially in the fight against epidemics, including malaria, dengue fever, cholera, diphtheria, and others,” the minister said.

He explained that this challenge is not only the responsibility of the Health Ministry, but also the different sectors such as water, local administration, labor and hygiene, adding that this requires a strong field response to the epidemic in the current year 2019.

The workshop aimed at reviewing and diagnosing the challenges that accompanied the work in 2018 and discussing the positives to enhance them during the year 2019. It also discussed a number of working papers on the epidemiological situation of cholera in 2018 and the most important interventions and challenges, as well as the National Strategic Plan for Preparedness and Response for Cholera 2019.

b@m