Response to the health and nutrition needs of people affected by drought emergency in Southeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Without well organized preparedness, early warning systemand response, the consequence of drought would be catastrophic.Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the preparednessand response of different sectors for health and nutrition needs ofpeople affected by drought in Southeast Ethiopia.Methods: This assessment was conducted from August 14 to September 7,2006 in Borena, Afder and Liben zones in the Southeast Ethiopia.Interview with representatives of governmental and non-governmentalorganizations, record review, and focus group discussion with communityleaders were done to assess the health and nutrition related responsesof the different stakeholders.Results: Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Commissions (DPPC) atdistrict level did not have documented contingency planning,vulnerability assessment and risk mapping and zoning related to droughtemergency. Most of the districts' health offices had no adequate humanresources to respond to drought emergency. The surveillance system wasnot functional in all Districts. Eighty percent of the healthinstitutions did not conduct nutritional survey or screening. None ofthe health facilities had temporary or therapeutic feeding centres. Mostof the focus group discussants mentioned that the food and non-food aidwas not timely and adequate.Conclusions: Absence of infrastructure, lack of human resources, absenceof functional surveillance system, and weakness of DPPC offices were theserious bottlenecks which affected the health and nutrition relatedresponse of the drought emergency. {[}Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2009;23(2): 169-171]