TheCable

More than 40,000 children are at risk of dying in the north-east due to the combined threat of acute malnutrition and medical complications within a context of high malaria prevalence.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) disclosed in its annual report released to journalists at a workshop on issues of health emergencies response in Yola, Adamawa state.

The report said the destruction of many health facilities and the killing of several health workers in the region make response to health emergencies difficult.

“Attacks on healthcare facilities and staff, access impediments due to insecurity and difficult terrains, affected population remain at high risk of epidemic-prone diseases like cholera, measles, meningitis and viral heamorrhagic fevers such as Lassa fever and yellow fever,” it said.

WHO added that malaria, acute respiratory infections and watery diarrhoea are the three leading causes of illness among internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially women and children along with high level of severe acute malnutrition.

The organisation appealed for more healthcare facilities and health workers to straighten the health system to aid prompt response to health emergencies cases in the region.

WHO said it has treated 216,000 children for malaria, cough , pneumonia and diarrhea and its 1,120 community resource persons ( CORPs), special intervention team reached 150,000 children with routine immunization per month and 28,000 pregnant women reached with free HIV testing and counselling dervice ( HTS) in Yobe state.

WHO said more than 21,000 beneficiaries provided with mental health services for the first time at the primary health care facilities in Borno state alone.