WHO and MOPH&P signed an agreement
Procurement of over 95,000,000 tablets of Praziquantel with total budget
of US$ 9,000,000
17 May 2010 | Geneva
On May 17th 2010, an important agreement was signed between the Ministry of Public Health and Population and the World Health Organization for the provision of over ninety-five million tablets of Praziquantel for the 6-year nationwide Schistosomiasis control programme. This agreement, worth over US$ 9 million, will help lead to the control of the serious public health problem of Schistosomiasis in Yemen. The agreement was signed by the Deputy Minister Dr Majeed Al-Junaid on behalf of the MOH&P, and by WHO Representative Dr. Ghulam Popal, and the occasion was covered by Yemen television. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Abdullah Oshish of the YSP, Dr. Osama Mere and Dr. Ahmed Alsoofi of the WHO and Mr Michael French of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, London.
Schistosomiasis and Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis (STHs) are very important public health problems in Yemen, with an estimated prevalence of 3 million infected people. This figure possibly represents a significant underestimation of the actual disease burden (BOD). If other estimations were applicable to Yemen, this could represent over half a million people with associated hidden severe pathology, including chronic hepatic pathology and renal failure.
WHO In coordination MOPH&P extended Technical and financial support in planning, implementation and evaluation of five national Schistosomiasis campaigns 2008-2009, and arranged joint missions with WB for developing a project (2010-2015) for elimination of Schistosomiasis from Yemen. This joint project has total budget of around US$ 28,000,000 consisting of US$ 25, 000,000 from the World Bank, US$ 1,300, 000 from WHO, and US$1,500, 000 from Ministry of Health & Population and US$200,000 from Schistosomiasis Control Initiative in London.
The Yemen Schistosomiasis Project is a six-year project (2010-2015). Its objective is to achieve control of Schistosomiasis among the school-age and adult population of Yemen. This project will cover 220 districts in the Republic of Yemen. In order to achieve such objective, two main components have been identified.
The first component is preventive chemotherapy for Schistosomiasis control, that is, the large-scale distribution of Praziquantel. This component is expected to support three anti-helminthic drug delivery strategies: (i) school-based preventive chemotherapy; (ii) community-based preventive chemotherapy; and (iii) routine preventive chemotherapy (through health facilities).
The second component addresses monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of activities implemented under the YSP. To this effect a number of indicators aimed at assessing impact and performance of activities implemented, as well as knowledge, attitude and practice/perception (KAP) among target populations have been identified. The second component also includes support to strengthening the NSCP capacities and technical skills, with specific reference to M&E activities.
At its completion, the YSP is expected: (i) to achieve control of morbidity due to Schistosomiasis, i.e. to produce a significant decrease in prevalence and intensity of infection of both urinary and intestinal Schistosomiasis among school-age children (aged 6 to 18 years), in all the endemic areas of Yemen; (ii) to have contributed to a reinforcement and strengthening of the technical capacities of the NSCP, with specific reference to M&E.
For further information contact:
Dr. Francesco Rio
Mobile: +41 79 475 5544
riof@who.int
Mr. Ashok Moloo
Mobile: +41 79 540 5086
molooa@who.int