WHO prioritises health care to communities in areas of return

The World Health Organisation is prioritising the delivery of primary health care services for people returning to their homes in Ninewa governorate. Guided by a health needs assessment, 2 health facilities were constructed in 2 separate locations in Shandokha village near Al Kasak junction and Al Wahda sector inside Talafar City. 

In Shandokha and other surrounding villages, the primary health care centre will serve an estimated catchment population of 30 000 people, while in Al Wahda the centre is expected to serve an estimated population of 10 000 people.In both sites, facilities will offer services such as consultation, laboratory, as well as pharmacy and emergency sections for critical patients who may require secondary health care. 

Zahara Hussein, a resident of Shandokha, who recently returned to the area from Hamam Al Alil internally displaced people’s camp, said, “This health facility will make access to health services for people in my community easier and faster, not being able to access services quickly was challenging for us”. 

After surviving the world’s most complex crisis, the last thing that people in Shandokha village wish for is lack of access to basic medicines when ill”. “Establishing this health centre is a big blessing for us, because until now we were moving 25 kilometres to the nearest health facility to access health services. We thank WHO and the Ninewa Directorate of Health for this support,” added Zahara. 

The two centres have jointly been staffed and equipped by WHO and the Ninewa Directorate of Health and targets have been established to serve the most urgent and critical health needs of returnees in the area of Talafar. Both health facilities will be run and managed by Ninewa Directorate of Health with support from WHO. 

In addition to operational support that will be provided to the health facilities, WHO is committed to providing the needed essential medicines, support supervision and disease surveillance and reporting. 

Many health facilities, including 6 major hospitals in West Mosul, remain damaged and closed, therefore moving essential and key health facilities and services closer to the people will ensure accessibility to good health care. The support has been made possible with a generous contribution from the Office of United States Foreign Disaster Assistance.

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