Following the phenomenal response to our Emergency Appeal for those affected by the crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, we were able to quickly send emergency funding to our partners. One of the organisations we were able to send funds to was our new partner, Wings of Healing, who have established four emergency medical clinics in the Tigray region, in camps for internally displaced people (IDP) in the towns of Axum and Adwa.
In the first three weeks of establishing a functioning clinic in Axum, Wings of Healing were able to see 1,948 patients.
The services provided at each IDP site include:
- Reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health
- Nutrition (both for children and adults)
- Communicable diseases and infectious diseases such as pneumonia, acute gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, malaria and intestinal parasites
- Non communicable diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and mental health
- Clinical emergency services
- Sexual and gender based violence
- Laboratory and pharmacy services
In the period from May 12th to June 4th, a total of 347 children and 62 pregnant and lactating women were screened for acute malnutrition in the two IDP camps in Axum. Fifty-two (15%) of the under-five children were diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition, and 11 children were found to have severe acute malnutrition. In addition, from the total of 62 pregnant and lactating women screened for acute malnutrition, twenty-four (38.7%) of them were diagnosed with a mid-upper arm circumference of less than 23cm. This indicates acute malnutrition which is alarming and needed urgent intervention.
“The great care and determination of the team to treat the forgotten us, shines hope in the darkness”
The pregnant women on antenatal care follow up in one of the IDP sites’ clinics
Since Wings of Healing established their clinics, hospital referral cases have become fewer, as people have been able to access the necessary health care services in the clinics.
The team are facing numerous challenges, however, and are in urgent need of our continued support. There is ongoing displacement and flow to the IDP sites and one IDP clinic is serving patients from 3 nearby IDP sites. There is also a shortage of medications, due to the high patient load. They will run out of medicine within weeks.
Please donate today if you can, to enable Wings of Healing to continue to support these extremely vulnerable displaced people.
