Measles is endemic in Mosul, and therefore there is a high risk of outbreaks, particularly in areas where there is makeshift or poor living accommodation. There is a need for surveillance among children in case of outbreaks. WHO already had established a disease early warning system for Syrian refugees in Kurdistan Region (KRG). which is now being expanded for the latest IDPs.
Polio is a risk factor – however, a recent round of vaccinations in May had a 97% coverage of children in Mosul. A further round is planned on the 15 June. Because of the displacement, and the fact that registrations have not yet been carried out, there will be extra challenges to the vaccination team. However, it is intended that all children will be vaccinated to ensure immunity from polio.
Health clinics are being set up by in Khebat camp and three other camps – but for those families stranded at checkpoints, the MoH supported by WHO, is helping provide basic services such as ensuring supplies, medicines and surveillance. Measles vaccination has started, targeting children from 6 months to 20 years and being done at the checkpoints with the support of WHO and UNICEF.
Already the situation in KRG was overstretched because of the neighbouring conflict with Syrian refugees housed in in camps or among the host communities. Now the situation has been exacerbated with the arrivla of new IDPs. WHO is working to guarantee the same level of service for all IDPs.
WHO has been providing primary healthcare services in six camps for Syrian refugees and will follow the same analogy for service provision in the new camps for IDPs.
WHO has already started strengthening the government's health system outside the camps. In last two days, WHO has provided three Inter-agency Emergency Health Kits (each sufficient for 10,000 people for one month), four supplementary kits (sufficient for 30,000 people for three months) and two cholera kits.