Ta’iz – Maternal and child health care services are only integrated in 20 per cent of health facilities across Yemen. To improve the quality of maternity and child services in rural areas, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with Qatar Charity, is working to support Al Aroos Hospital in Ta’iz governorate’s Sabir Al Mawadim district.

Al Aroos Hospital serves an area with an estimated population of 50,000 people, which is common in densely populated areas where access to health care is extremely limited. Clashes in Ta’iz in early 2021 added more strain on the Hospital’s ability to meet the increasing demand for health care.

“Prior to this intervention, Al Aroos Hospital was no better than a small health centre with a limited range of maternal and neonatal services,” said Doctor Fahd Sofi from IOM’s health team in Aden.

“Through this support from Qatar Charity, the Hospital can now provide non-surgical emergency maternal and neonatal care, enabling the hospital to receive a wide range of maternal cases and provide 24/7 care,” he added.

This IOM-Qatar Charity project focuses on providing basic emergency maternal obstetric and neonatal Care for displaced people and the communities hosting them.

“Women and children often bear the brunt of Yemen’s crisis and so ensuring their access to health care is vital to their survival and the country’s eventual recovery,” said Ahmed Saad AlRumaihi, Director of Emergency and Relief of the Qatar Charity. He also stated that “Qatar Charity is proud to partner with IOM to extend humanitarian support in order to improve the conditions of Yemeni displaced people, especially in the health sector”.

Through this project, women can receive antenatal, delivery and post-natal health care services as well as consultation and treatment for gynecological conditions. The hospital also provides children with primary health services, which include diagnosing and treatment of various diseases, supported by IOM.

“The hospital was suffering from a remarkable shortage of health professionals; only one midwife and one general practitioner doctor were available to provide maternal care,” explained Abdulqhaliq Mohammed, the Director of Al Aroos hospital.

“The services they could provide were severely limited, leaving hundreds of pregnant women requiring care to tvel on average ten kilometres to access health care. Unfortunately, some of these women would reach the facility late and in complicated states,” said Mohammed.

IOM and Qatar Charity support has made it possible to overcome the staff shortage at the hospital. Now, there are an additional gynecology and obstetrician specialist and seven midwives available to receive patients at all times of the day.

“Tens of thousands of people, including hundreds of internally displaced persons who live in the surrounding areas of the hospital, are benefiting from this support. Moreover, the impact of such intervention is not limited to Al Aroos Hospital as it helps support the district health system itself,” added Doctor Abdulah Hasan, District Health Officer for Sabir Al Mawadim.

Through this IOM-Qatar Charity partnership, the emergency maternal obstetric and neonatal services at Al Aroos will not only improve the quality of care provided at the hospital but will also significantly reduce the case referrals to other health facilities in neighbouring districts.

Since February 2021, nearly 2,200 women and children benefited from maternal and neonatal care services at Al Aroos Hospital. IOM and Qatar Charity are currently working to support the hospital with medicine, supplies and equipment. IOM also conducted an assessment on in Al Aroos using an Assessment Tool for Quality of Maternal and Neonatal Care, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), to assess the quality of care provided. The assessment included an in-depth evaluation of the infrastructure, workforce, general services, medicines and equipment in the facility, which will help IOM in identifying needs and ensuring that services of international standards are provided. IOM also carried on a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assessment in order to enhance the overall sanitation and hygiene of the Hospital.

For more information, please contact IOM Yemen: 

• Arabic: Mennatallah Homaid, Tel: +967739888755, Email: mhomaid@iom.int   
• English: Olivia Headon, Tel: +967730552233, WhatsApp: +967730552233 Email: oheadon@iom.int