27 December 2013 -- Bangui, Central African Republic - WHO is moving 2.6 tons of medical supplies from the Bangui airport to partners operating health facilities in the capital city. The supplies include medicines to treat large number of wounded people in the latest surge of violence in the Central African Republic. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 214,000 people are internally displaced in the capital city alone.

In addition, 10 tons of medical supplies including trauma kits and antimalarial medicines are expected to arrive to Bangui next week.

The already weak health system has virtually collapsed with the current crisis. Prior the crisis, the Central African Republic already had some of the worst health indicators globally. For example, life expectancy in the country is about 47 years, more than one in seven children will die before their 5th birthday and only two countries in the world have more mothers die during pregnancy or delivery.

With the conflict, medical supplies have been stolen from many health facilities, and many health care workers have fled their posts. The lack of essential medicines, supplies and health professionals has significantly impeded the delivery of healthcare.

The response to the health sector, which is coordinated by WHO, is in need of 16,7 million USD in the next 100 days. This initial response will focus on:

• the immediate provision of supplies for trauma care and surgery for the injured;
• restoration of basic and emergency health services, including hospital services;
• continued provision of medicines and medical supplies;
• disease surveillance, and prevention and control of infectious diseases;
• overall health response coordination, including increasing the geographical coverage of a basic package of health care services.

Tarik Jasarevic
Media Relations
World Health Organization
Mobile: +41 793 676 214
Tel: +41 22 791 5099
E-mail: jasarevict [at] who.int