The World Health Organization's work in north-eastern Sri Lanka: A summary

The World Health Organization is working closely with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health to ensure the health and welfare of over 250 000 internally displaced people (IDP) in welfare camps in the government controlled areas in north-eastern Sri Lanka. The WHO field unit in Vavuniya has been active in providing support on the ground in close coordination with the Regional Health services and Humanitarian partners.

WHO's health priorities include provision of adequate healthcare facilities, water and sanitation facilities, prevention of major outbreaks of communicable diseases, as well as providing mental health and psycho social support to the large number of displaced people.

Since September 2008, WHO has assisted by

- Providing technical expertise.

- Supplying medicines for over 30 000 people.

- Contributing a range of equipment, from hospital beds to cardiac monitors, to scale up the functioning capacity of local health facilities.

- Coordinating the work of international health agencies to ensure the most efficient use of resources.

- Training local community workers on mental health support.

WHO is also assisting the Ministry of Health in expanding their response capacity in IDP settings. This includes ensuring there is one primary healthcare center for 10 000 population manned by a doctor, nurse, and others. Read more ...