Yemen COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Snapshot – As of 9 May 2020 [EN/AR]

Between 10 April, when the first case was announced, and 9 May 2020, there were 35 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Yemen, 7 related deaths and 1 reported recovery. In the week since 2 May, the number of cases increased fivefold from seven cases, with new cases reported in Aden, Hadramaut, Taizz and Lahj governorates and in Sana’a City. The sudden, sharp rise in cases indicates that the virus has been circulating undetected and unmitigated in Yemen for some weeks, increasing the likelihood that a surge in cases could overwhelm health care facilities.
Aid agencies have been swift in responding and have developed a COVID-19 response strategy with the authorities. At the core of the strategy is effective case management – isolating people who are ill at home and referring those with mild and moderate symptoms and admitting all critical cases to isolation units, to reduce the rate of transmission. This is backed up by a risk communication and community engagement strategy which provides the public with life-saving information about the virus and how to limit human to human transmission. Another key priority is protecting the public health system, which continues to focus on containing deadly diseases, including cholera, diphtheria, dengue and malaria, at 4,300 non-COVID facilities.