ReliefWeb

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

This update aims to provide progress on the Gedaref Kala-Azar operation and extend for one month the operation time frame.

Administrative delay in getting funds in the field and having access to secondary data, explains the extra time requested by SRCS. The coming weeks will serve to complete the assessment and ensure it is published and shared internally and externally for the use of various partners considering the lack of those data for Gedaref and at the country level. The National Society will also ensure the completion of all the activities around sensitization and health promotion, Risk Communication, and Community Engagement (RCCE) which is crucial in aiding the uptake of essential prevention and control of the spread of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Community feedback to be collected will also provide key primary data for the assessment. The response strategy and the budget remain the same.

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

On 12 February 2022, the Director of the Department of Vector Control at the SMOH Ministry of Health (SMoH) of Gedaref State, released an appeal statement of emergency to control an alarming increase of Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) cases. The report indicated a continuous increase of cases throughout 2022 with 302 cases and 8 deaths reported for January only compared to the previous year’s The report showed cumulative data of 2,973 cases with 69 deaths registered in 2021; 2,137 cases with 38 deaths in 2020 and 2,098 cases with 29 death in 2019.

From the SMoH report and available information, it was highlighted that the spread of the disease was attributed to the natural condition that provides an appropriate conducive environment for the Sandfly (vector) survival that including cracked ground soil, Acacia, and Heglig trees, which are abundant in the area. The exit of key organizations supporting the VL intervention and the influx of refugees in the past 2 years from Ethiopia increase the risk of an outbreak.

As illustrated above and in line with SMOH call for support, the DREF was launched on 4th March 2022. The response was to focus on providing more information through assessment and to support preventive measures aligned with the government plan in terms of awareness messages and RCCE response strategies against VL.

Due to the endemicity of VL, less funding for preventive interventions, and population movement in the region, the risk of case increase remains high. The extension will strengthen the coordination and sustainable RCCE preventive activities, and community participation as well as allow understanding of population risk and vulnerabilities for lessons learned. The ultimate goal is to promote evidence-based decision-making and resilience for effective and sustainable local solutions.