WHO Liberia Situation Report No. 4

General Information
The security situation as regards to the movement of civilians in the streets is much improved. However, the cost of transportation remains high due to high cost of petroleum products. Although food commodities have appeared on the local market, prices have not yet dropped to pre-June 5 2003 prices.

There are rumors on the possible resumption of classes on Monday 16 June 2003. This will have serious consequence on the IDPs as many of them are in school buildings.

Business houses are still closed. The degree of uncertainty about a positive course of the Liberian peace process remains very high among the population including health workers. This coupled with the high cost of transportation is preventing health workers from reporting to duties at many of the health facilities including the hospitals.

Functioning Hospitals In Monrovia

• Catholic Hospital (Handles Medical and other referral cases)
• A wing of the JFK Memorial Hospital (Handles only Surgical Cases)
• S.D.A. Cooper Hospital (Handles Medical Cases)
• ELWA Hospital (Handles Medical cases)

However all of them are now requesting for support as they are offering free services for those segment of the population that cannot afford the cost of treatment.

Ambulance Services

There are not ambulances in Monrovia to cover all the referral needs from the existing IDP Centers and Monrovia Communities. Some NGOs and agencies are willing to use their vehicles as ambulances, but running cost for fuel, staff and VHF radio is a major constraint.

UPDATE ON IDP CENTERS

I. SKD Stadium: (Pop. 58,000)

A. NGO responsible for Health Services - MSF/F & Medical Emergency Relief International (MERCI)

B. Health Services

• MSF/F operating a curative mobile clinic
• MERCI operating a curative mobile clinic; the organization will begin providing 24 hrs services on 14 June 2003
• World Vision began measles immunization on 13 June 2003

II. Other Centers

A. Newport Junior High School (Pop of about 3,500)

i. NGO - MERLIN

ii. Health Services:

• Curative
• Immunization to begin 14 June 2003
• No deaths reported

iii. Water Supply

• MSF/F

B. Chicken Soup Factory Community (Pop - 7,000)

i. NGO - MSF/F

ii. Health services

• Mobile Clinic offering curative services
• MSF/F urged at Health Sector Meeting on 14 June 2003 to immediately begin immunization against measles in the community

iii. Water - inadequate water supply. The issue of water for this community will be discussed at the WATSAN Sector Meeting next week.

C. E. J. Goodridge Center (Pop - 1,5000)

i. NGO - MERCI

ii. Health Services:

• Static Clinic offering curative services.
• Immunization against measles begins on 14 June 2003

D. Mavi Sonii Including Clara Town Community ( Population of about 9,000)

i. NGO MSF/B

ii Health services:

• MOH Clara Town Clinic offering curative services
• Immunization against measles to begin as early as 16 June 2003

iii Health Report

• Between 2-6 June 2003, the clinic saw 6 measles case among IDPs from Cape Mount County (5 case <5yrs; 1 case 12 yrs)
• 9 - 13 June (Watery Diarrhea Cases- 19 case < yrs; 43 cases > 5 yrs - Blood Diarrhea: 3 cases < 5yrs; 7 cases > 5 yrs)
• Malnutrition (moderate & severe) Cases = 65

MSF/B reported that most of the diarrhea cases were tested positive for cholera at the Catholic Hospital Laboratory in Monrovia.

E. G. W. Gibson Junior and Senior High School Center ( Pop - 2,500)

i. NGO - SCF

ii. Health Services

• Curative and Reproductive Health
• Immunization to begin shortly, no specific date was given

III. New IDP Center Discovered between 12 - 14 June 2003

A, Elizabeth Crawford Elementary School:Population of about 700

B, Muslim Congress School: Population of about 1500

C, Wells-Heston High School: Population of about 1050

D, Botswin High School: Population of about 7,000

E, D.Tweh High School: Population of about 5,000

• 5 cases of diarrhea from this center was referred to the cholera ward at the JFK Hospital Compound
• Total of 3 deaths (2 < 5yrs; 1 > 5 yrs) were recorded from this center.

Up to 13 June 2003, Botswin and D. Tweh Center were not assessable to relief workers.

IV. Health Services and Immunization Gaps

At a Health Sector Meeting, which was convened at the Ministry of Health on Saturday 14 June 2003, coordination was emphasized among partners to avoid duplication of efforts. Health Care providers will decide among themselves on who should cover a particular IDP center as a means of ensuring that all centers are adequately covered with health services.

The Ministry of Health though UNICEF support will begin a multi-antigen campaign in IDP Centers next week. This will be done in collaboration with all NGOs and agencies rendering health services to avoid duplication of efforts.