With funding and support from the World Bank’s IDA, UNDP YECRP, together with local partner, the Social Fund for Development

Hodeidah, Yemen – Yemen’s first Centre for Infectious Diseases in Hodeidah City at the Al-Thawrah Public Hospital is officially opened.

With funding and support from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (YECRP), together with local partner, the Social Fund for Development (SFD), completed construction of this specialized centre which will provide critical capacity to control and treat infectious diseases in Hodeidah.

“Due to damage, lack of supplies and limited staffing, only 50 per cent of Yemen’s health facilities are functioning,” explains Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative. “Hodeidah is significantly impacted by the ongoing violent conflict, resulting in residents suffering from limited access to medical services and reoccurring disease epidemics such as diphtheria, dengue, malaria, tetanus, tuberculosis, SARS, and pneumonia,” he adds. “This new facility can save thousands of lives and prevent disease epidemics.” Despite having relatively modern medical equipment, Al-Thawrah Public Hospital – the only medical facility admitting patients from Al-Mahwit, Hajjah, Hodeidah, and Raymah – has struggled to serve those in need. According to the Tropical Medicine Centre at the Hospital, between November 2019 and March 2020, the hospital received over 5,200 infectious diseases cases, of which more than 50 were fatal.

This underscores the importance of establishing the Centre for Infectious Diseases which will reduce overcrowding and help accommodate even more patients. “We used to empty other medical departments to admit patients.

Even corridors were packed with patients because there were not any inpatient beds left,” recalls Dr. Mujam, the Vice President of Al-Thawrah Hospital for Medical and Clinical Affairs. “This centre will help us cope with the high demand for medical services in the hospital.”

The newly built centre includes a reception, an emergency department, a vector-borne diseases unit for malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, an inpatient unit, an intensive care unit, an isolation unit, a diagnostic radiology unit, a PRESS RELEASE

biological unit, a blood and biochemistry laboratory, a minor operating room, a mortuary, and a nurses’ shift room. It is equipped with modern medical oxygen systems and an air purification and decontamination system to eliminate the transmission of diseases. It also has a pharmacy where medicines for infectious diseases are available and a mortuary.

These facilities will enable the centre to provide emergency medical services for 120 patients. “The centre will contribute to saving patients’ lives associated with infectious and epidemic diseases,” exclaims Professor Dr.

Muhammad Al-Kamrani, the Scientific Medical and Epidemiological Advisor of the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Al-Thawrah Hospital.

Press Contacts UNDP Yemen: Leanne Rios, Team Lead: Communications and Advocacy Leanne.rios@undp.org

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