OCHA / SYRIA CHOLERA VACCINATION CAMPAIGN

STORY: OCHA / EARTHQUAKE SYRIA IDLIB
TRT: 03:07
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 15-16 MARCH 2023, NORTH-WEST, SYRIA

SHOTLIST:

15 MARCH 2023, KELLY, IDLEB, SYRIA

1. Various shots, health workers from Syria Immunization Group walking in Al Sadaka camp in Kelly town
2. Med shot, child given oral cholera vaccine and marked as vaccinated
3. Med shots, health workers
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr Ahmad Ismaiil, the Syria Immunization Group:
“I am Dr. Ahmad Ismaiil, the supervisor for the vaccination campaign against cholera in the health center in Kelly town. This epidemic has recently been spreading in the area.”
5. Med shot, man taking vaccine
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr Ahmad Ismaiil, the Syria Immunization Group:
“Our center consists of 30 teams. We target daily between 3,500 to 4,000 persons as this epidemic can spread quickly in different ways. Vaccines raise the immune response of the body. The vaccine is provided by WHO and UNICEF.”
7. Various shots, Syria Immunization Group workers speaking with residents and preparing vaccination

16 MARCH 2023, IDLEB, SYRIA

8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Um Rajab, community member in Al-Tah (camp near the city of Ma'arrat Misrin):
“People are in need of everything after the earthquakes – like all types of food commodities, blankets and mattresses. There is not enough. Even in our camp, there is not enough.”
9. Wide shot, Al-Walid camp
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Um Rajab, community member in Al-Tah (camp near the city of Ma'arrat Misrin):
“We have all been vaccinated. We would have not taken it if it would harm us.

15 MARCH 2023, KELLY, IDLEB, SYRIA

11. Close-up, worker’s hand

16 MARCH 2023, IDLEB, SYRIA

12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Um Rajab, community member in Al-Tah (camp near the city of Ma'arrat Misrin):
“Vaccination is useful for us and we took it.”
13. Various shots, health workers from Syria Immunization Group walking in Al-Walid camp near the town of Harbanoush, north of Idleb
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Community Mobilization Supervisor, Syria Immunization Group at the Al-Walid (camp near the town of Harbanoush, north of Idleb):
“The teams are working daily to visit homes, camps, tents, mosques, stores, farms and random sites. Our role as community mobilization supervisors is to spread awareness and conduct educational sessions on this disease and the necessity of being vaccinated, especially after the earthquakes.”
15. Med shot, Man living in camp given oral cholera vaccine


STORYLINE:

On 7 March 2023, WHO and UNICEF, in coordination with health authorities, the Syria Immunization Group (SIG), and the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), launched a cholera vaccination campaign in earthquake-hit areas of north-west Syria. The campaign will run for 10 days and targets 1.7 million people.

During the campaign, 1.7 million doses of cholera vaccine will be used to protect Syrians above one year of age, especially those living in the areas most severely impacted by the earthquake and at highest risk of cholera, including Sarmada, Maaret Tamsrin, Dana, and Atmeh districts in Idleb, and in A’zaz district in northern Aleppo.

1,400 teams of health workers and community volunteers will implement the ten-day campaign using a house-to-house strategy, as well as reaching displaced people living in camps, markets, and school sites.

"WHO warns against the increase of water-borne diseases for over 2.1 million Syrians living in the northwest of the country, with the risk increasing significantly in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, especially in overcrowded camps and collective centres" says Dr. Richard Brennan, Regional Emergency Director for WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. "WHO and partners have to act now to avoid further illness and death. As the cholera vaccines are orally administered, it is crucial to ensure that targeted populations are reached before the beginning of Holy month of Ramadan, as most adults will be fasting during this period".

“After years of conflict, and two catastrophic earthquakes, the dangers that unsanitary conditions and unsafe water pose to children may seem inconsequential, but we know that if waterborne diseases take hold, the effects can be disastrous,” said UNICEF Deputy Regional Director programmes for the Middle East and North Africa, Maddalena Bertolotti.

“This vaccination campaign is vital as it will provide much-needed protection for children and their families and will help curb the spread of the disease, which can put millions of people at risk.”

Since the cholera outbreak was first declared in Syria on 10 September 2022, over 50 thousand suspected cases have been reported in both Idlib and Aleppo governorates, of which 18% of suspected cases were from internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. In week 6 of 2023, the week of the earthquake, reported cases declined by 63%, reflecting the drop in presentations and reporting. Since then, surveillance has resumed and in week 8/2023 1,784 new cases were reported. There is still an urgent need to ramp up surveillance and response for epidemic-prone diseases after the earthquake, with a particular focus on the spring season which will see a shift in the circulating pathogens.

UNICEF continues to lead on vaccine procurement, cold chain and vaccine management for the safety of the vaccine. UNICEF co-leads in the planning and implementation of the social mobilization activities for the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign to create awareness of the importance of taking the vaccine to keep families safe and healthy from cholera disease WHO continues to lead the operational cholera response, establishing a cholera response task force, and coordinating the response across the various pillars, including surveillance and laboratories, case management, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), supply chain, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and OCV.

The devastating earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria on 6 February caused over 4540 deaths and nearly 9000 injuries in northwest Syria. Around 90 000 Syrians have been displaced in the northwest and many have found refuge in overcrowded camps and reception collective centres. The catastrophe has disrupted access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, exposing the population to an increased risk of water-borne diseases, including cholera.