Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Fighting the Cholera Epidemic in Yemen

Oct 11, 2017 11:20 AM ET
Campaign: Sanofi Espoir Foundation

Since the beginning of the armed conflict in March 2015, the humanitarian situation has continued to deteriorate in Yemen. According to the UN, nearly 80% of the population needs humanitarian assistance, particularly regarding access to healthcare. The cholera epidemic is part of this very deteriorated health situation and the spread of the disease cannot be prevented without decisive action to end it quickly.

The WHO reckons on 5,000 new cases per day and anticipates some 500,000-people affected. At present, many local facilities are no longer functioning and healthcare teams lack both vaccines and medicines, while millions of people have no drinking water.

Tasked with responding to humanitarian emergencies in conflict zones, the Sanofi Espoir Foundation has decided to support two additional actions on the ground in Yemen: a project sponsored by the Women And Health Alliance (WAHA) International and another project supported by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

The main activities of the WAHA project are targeting 15,000 direct recipients and more than 53,000 indirectly by:

  • Supporting Mocha hospital to care for patients with cholera,
  • Boosting capacity in peripheral health centers
  • Treating malnutrition especially among children, using a mobile medical team.
  • Find out more about WAHA

The UNHCR noted a 160% rise in number of recipients of its services between 2015 and 2016. Over two million people have been forced to leave their homes and survive in extremely dangerous conditions.

The UNHCR project will:

  • Support local health services in Sana, Basateen, Aden and Kharaz
  • Supply the equipment needed to fight against the cholera epidemic
  • Train medical staff and develop community outreach
  • Strengthen partnerships with national health services
  • Find out more about UNHCR

In addition to this financial support, and in an effort to meet the shortage of medicines, donations of medicines have been made to WAHA through our partner NGO Tulipe: 6 pediatric kits and 3 emergency kits partly containing Sanofi products.