EHA Highlights

Food and health crisis in Sahel

sahel sam Countries of the Sahel (Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Senegal and Gambia) as well as Cameroon and Nigeria are facing a food and nutrition humanitarian crisis. WHO is particularly concerned about epidemic-prone and vaccine-preventable diseases. Malnutrition makes people, particularly children under five, weaker and more prone to disease. WHO experts have been sent from the global and regional levels to support the response to this complex crisis.

WHO's Response - Explosions in Brazzaville, Congo

On Sunday, 4 March 2012, at about 8.00 am, a series of explosions were heard at the military camp of the Armoured Regiment, located at the Mpila suburb of Brazzaville. Over 200 people have been reported dead so far and more than 1000 people were wounded.

Photo gallery

Providing psychological first aid in emergencies

16 August 2011 -- Humanitarian emergencies - such as earthquakes, drought, or war - not only affect people's physical health but also their psychological and social health and well-being. For World Humanitarian Day, celebrated on 19 August, WHO and partners are publishing Psychological First Aid Guide for Fieldworkers. These guidelines explain how to provide basic support to people in the immediate aftermath of extremely stressful events.

New psychological first aid guide to strengthen humanitarian relief

Emergency vaccination campaign on the Somali Kenyan border

WHO/Pieter Desloovere

05 August 2011 -- The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in over 50 years; child malnutrition rates are already high and are expected to rise.

Malnourished children are more prone to sicknesses and diseases, such as measles. To protect them WHO conducted a campaign to vaccinate 215 000 children and provide them with vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets.

:: View the vaccination campaign photo story
:: Video - Emergency vaccination campaign along the Somali-Kenyan border

Public health risk assessment and interventions - The Horn of Africa: Drought and famine crisis

Overview
The public health risk assessment for the The Horn of Africa: Drought and famine crisis is to provide health professionals in United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations, donor agencies and local authorities currently working with populations affected by this emergency, with up-to-date technical guidance on the major public health threats faced by the displaced population. Public health threats represent a significant challenge to those providing health-care services in this evolving situation. It is hoped that this risk assessment will facilitate the coordination of activities between all agencies working among the populations currently affected by the crisis.

Download the document: Public health risk assessment and interventions - The Horn of Africa: Drought and famine crisis