Summary:
CHF 73,950 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 650,000 beneficiaries in the areas affected by meningitis. Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.
From the 1st of January to the 20th of March 2,085 cases of meningitis and 124 deaths have been recorded in Chad. So far, in 2011, Chad remains the most meningitis affected country in the African meningitis belt and the NmA strain remains the dominant pathogen—treatable with standard vaccines. The most affected regions are located in the south of the country. Joint assessment missions were carried out by the Red Cross of Chad national office and the Chadian Health Ministry. Findings showed that the situation verges on catastrophe and is in need of urgent intervention.
Despite their limited financial resources, volunteers have been mobilized to assess, sensitize, and refer suspected cases to health centres. Through this operation, the Red Cross of Chad with the support of the IFRC in-country representation will provide support to the affected communities through the rapid training of volunteers in affected committees to enable them to carry out mass sensitization campaigns and refer suspected cases to health centres.
There are also measles and cholera outbreaks in the country and this operation runs concurrently to another DREF operation on Cholera. The operations are separated because the diseases themselves differ in their causes, origins and transmission routes, and have resulted in different policies and interventions for preventive measures, response and case management. This operation is expected to be implemented over 3 months, and will therefore be completed by 30 June, 2011; a Final Report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by 30 September, 2011).
The major donors and partners of DREF include the Australian, American and Belgian governments, the Austrian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross and government, Danish Red Cross and government, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Irish and the Italian governments, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Luxembourg government, the Monaco Red Cross and government, the Netherlands Red Cross and government, the Norwegian Red Cross and government, the Spanish Government, the Swedish Red Cross and government, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Medtronic and Z Zurich Foundations, and other corporate and private donors. The IFRC, on behalf of the National Society, would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions.
Details of all contributions to the DREF for 2010 can be found on: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2010.pdf and for 2011 on: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/Active/MAA00010_2011.pdf
All operations-related appeals, reports, updates and information are available on the Appeals, plans and updates section of the web site: http://www.ifrc.org/en/publications-and-reports/appeals/