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Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Continuous displacement of people from their communities, following renewed Boko Haram attacks, would worsen public health in the troubled North East states, the World Health Organisation has said.
WHO, in its Health Emergencies Programme North East Annual Report for 2018, released at the weekend, by its Maiduguri Office, noted that more people in the area may be affected by disease outbreaks and other health challenges, due to new displacements caused by recent attacks by Boko Haram. WHO identified Borno State as potentially risky for disease outbreaks.
“Following multiple displacements and increased population movement, there were high risks of disease outbreaks as health-care systems including routine vaccinations in many areas were disrupted for several years now,” WHO said in the report.
The global body said Boko Haram attacks on Rann, Kala-Balge Local Government, late January, forced the United Nations and most humanitarian agencies to suspend their interventions in the area, leaving thousands of displaced residents at risk of health challenges. WHO said more people became displaced, mainly due to attacks on Rann, Baga and Kukawa, among others communities, forcing more populations into already overcrowded Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
“The disruption of the health-care service system has not only affected access and use of health services but, also, the quality of care. For example, during the first half of 2018, 60 per cent of patients treated for malaria were either not tested for the disease or they tested negative via rapid diagnostic test, indicating a gap in the quality of care.”
WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme Manager, northeast, Mr Collins Owili, stated.
